Using Identity-Based Motivation to Examine Engineering Master’s Students’ Enrollment Decisions And Persistence

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Two
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT057 (Thursday)

Abstract

Master's students are a large, yet understudied, population in higher education. Facing unique challenges like shorter program durations and greater financial burdens than those completing a PhD who are generally the population of research study, master’s students’ motivations for enrollment and persistence warrant specific investigation. My dissertation addresses this gap by using Identity-Based Motivation (IBM) theory to explore how direct-pathway engineering master's students (students who have less than 5 years of gap between undergraduate and graduate schools) perceive their identities in relation to their academic journeys. Employing Q methodology, this research aims to identify distinct identity profiles based on both quantitative and qualitative data, ultimately informing targeted strategies to better support this critical student demographic.

Author

• Shuyu Wang, The Ohio State University