Investigating Engineering Identity Development and Stability Among First-Year Engineering Students: A Person-Centered Approach

• In Event: Interrogating the Experiences of Understudied Student Populations

Abstract

Engineering identity is a rapidly evolving construct within the field of engineering, primarily due to its link to engineering persistence. Yet, most engineering identity research has been qualitative in nature or has described individuals within the analytical technique as coming from a single population. This study is the first to apply person-centered analytical techniques — Random Intercept Latent Transition Analysis — to the investigation of students’ engineering identity development and stability. We uncovered three primarily stable classes of engineering identity existed amongst first-year undergraduate engineering students with gender significantly influencing classification stability. A descriptive analysis of students’ engineering identity classifications in relation to their selection/non-selection of engineering majors revealed Calculus-readiness upon college entrance might be an important component in this relationship.

Authors

• Mary E. Lockhart, Texas A&M University
  Presenting Author

• Karen E. Rambo-Hernandez, Texas A&M University
  Presenting Author