A Longitudinal Study of the Relationships Between Engineering Career Intention, Engineering Identification, and Engineering Expectancy

• In Event: 35.082 - Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: 35.082-27 - Division I Roundtable A: Professional Identity

Abstract

The two purposes of this study were to improve understanding of student retention in the engineering fields by: (1) investigating students’ engineering career intention growth trajectories, and (2) testing the impact of gender, engineering identification, and engineering program expectancy on engineering career intentions. Students’ perceptions of their career intention did not grow or decline significantly and no significant difference between male and female students was discerned in terms of their initial status and growth rates. Engineering identification did, however, significantly predict individual differences in the initial scores and growth rates among students, whereas engineering program expectancy was only marginally significant in predicting individual difference in initial scores.

Authors

• Chosang Tendhar, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University

• Marie Christine Paretti, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University