Work in progress - Engineering pathways study: The college-career transition

Research in engineering education has shown that academic programs are often designed based on a projected image of engineering practice. However, this image may be outdated or misaligned with today's actual professional work. To develop a more complete picture, we designed the Engineering Path...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sheppard, S., Matusovich, H. M., Atman, C., Streveler, R. A., Miller, R. L.
Format: Conference Proceeding
Language:English
Subjects:
Career Choice
Conferences
Educational institutions
Engineering Practice
Engineering profession
Engineering students
Instruments
Interviews
School-to-Work Transition
Social Cognitive Career Theory
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Summary:Research in engineering education has shown that academic programs are often designed based on a projected image of engineering practice. However, this image may be outdated or misaligned with today's actual professional work. To develop a more complete picture, we designed the Engineering Pathways Study (EPS). EPS extends findings from the NSF-funded Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education (CAEE), and in particular findings from CAEE's multi-method, multi-institutional Academic Pathways Study (APS) research project. Following-up with participants from APS, we are uniquely positioned to explore transitions to the workforce and the needs/experiences of early career professionals (ECP). Over a period of two years, our sequential mixed-methods design uses outcomes from in-depth interviews to develop a survey for a broader sampling. Currently in early phases of interviews and analysis, preliminary findings highlight connections and gaps between current career experiences and academic career preparation.
ISSN:0190-5848
2377-634X
DOI:10.1109/FIE.2011.6142828