Illuminating Contexts that Influence Test Usage Beliefs and Behaviors among Instructors of Fundamental Engineering Courses

Abstract

This research paper illuminates the different contexts elicited by seven instructors who taught fundamental engineering courses (FECs) when discussing their test usage beliefs and behaviors, beginning to address a gap in engineering education research on instructors' beliefs and behaviors and test usage in engineering courses. Tests and exams are typically heavily used in FECs like statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, and other courses in various engineering disciplines. Understanding why engineering instructors heavily rely on tests to assess student learning in these courses can be crucial in promoting the use of more diverse types of assessments, such as portfolios, concept inventory, reflection-based practices, project-based practices, and intentionality in terms of designing, administering, and interpreting tests, but research has been scarce on documenting research on this topic.Conversations around why instructors make certain course decisions typically involve the contexts these instructors are situated in, emphasizing how important contexts are in terms of influencing decision-making in these courses. Illuminating some of these contexts can be helpful to further understand instructors' beliefs and behaviors in course decision-making, specifically on heavily using tests in fundamental courses. We answered the research question: What are some of the contexts that seven instructors of fundamental engineering courses raise when discussing their test usage in their courses? The data are collected as part of a larger multi-case study that explores test usage beliefs and behaviors of seven individual engineering instructors (seven cases). Multiple sources of data and evidence triangulate to shape the case profiles for these seven instructors, with contexts emerging as an important element of these profiles.Our findings show several key contexts discussed substantially by some of these seven instructors, though not all instructors discussed the same contexts. These contexts include the influence of inertia to continue using tests, course context that includes large enrollment, and the limited autonomy for some instructors to make changes to assessment in the courses. These contexts show some intertwining characteristics to influence test usage among the participants. In addition, our findings support existing literature on inertia and course context and prominent contexts to influence course decision-making, and this paper focuses on the test usage as a form of course design decision.