The purpose of the Research in the Formation of Engineers National Science Foundation funded project, Developing Engineering Experiences and Pathways in Engineering Technology Career Formation (D.E.E.P. Engineering Technology Career Formation), is to develop a greater understanding of the professional identity, institutional culture, and formation of engineer technicians and technologists (ET) who are prepared at two-year colleges. ET professionals are important hands-on members of engineering teams who have specialized knowledge of components and engineering systems. Little research on career development and the role of ET in the workforce has previously been conducted prompting national organizations such as NSF and the National Academy of Sciences to prompt more research in this area [1]. The primary objectives of this project are to: (a) identify dimensions of career orientations and anchors at various stages of professional preparation and map to ET career pathways, (b) develop an empirical framework, incorporating individual career anchors and effect of institutional culture, for understanding ET professional formation, and (c) develop and pilot interventions aimed at transforming engineering formation systems in ET contexts. The three interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks integrated to guide design and analysis of this research study are social cognitive career theory (SCCT) [2], Schein’s career anchors which focuses on individual career orientation [3], and the Hughes value framework focused on the organization [4]. SCCT which links self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, and personal goals to educational and career decisions and outcomes ties the individual career anchors to the institutional context of the Hughes framework [2]. To date, the project has collected and analyzed quantitative data from over 330 participants who are two-year college ET students, two-year college transfer students, and early career ET professionals. Qualitative data from historical institutional documents has also been collected and analyzed. Initial analyses have revealed gaps and needed areas of support for ET students in the area of professional formation. Thus far, the identified gaps are in institutional policy (i.e. lack of articulation agreements), needed faculty professional development (i.e. two-year faculty on specific career development and professional ET formation needs and four-year faculty on unique needs of transfer students), missing curriculum and resources supporting career development and professional formation of ET students, and integration of transfer student services focusing on connecting faculty and advisors across both institutional levels and types of programs. Significant gaps in the research promoting understanding of the role of ET and unique professional formation needs of these students were also confirmed. This project has been successful at helping to broaden participation in ET engineering education through integrating new participants into activities (new four-year institutional stakeholders, new industry partners, new faculty and staff directly and indirectly working with ET students) and through promoting disciplinary (engineering education and ET) and cross disciplinary collaborations (human resource development, higher education leadership, and student affairs). With one year remaining before completion of this project, this project has promoted a better understanding of student and faculty barriers supporting career development for ET students and identified need for career development resources and curriculum in ET.
Words: 498 References [1] National Academy of Engineering. (2016). Engineering technology education in the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. [2] Lent, R.W., & Brown, S.B. (1996). Social cognitive approach to career development: An overivew. Career Development Quarterly, 44, 310-321. [3] Schein, E. (1996). Career anchors revisited: Implications for career development in the 21st century. Academy of Management Executive, 10(4), 80-88. [4] Hughes, C. (2014, Spring). Conceptualizing the five values of people and technology development: Implications for human resource managmeent and development. Workforce Education Forum, 37(1), 23-44.
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Using Career Orientations to Map Professional Formation in Engineering Technology
This NSF funded research study is developing a
greater theoretical understanding of the professional identity,
institutional culture, and formation of engineer technicians and
technologists who are prepared at two-year colleges. The study is
identifying dimensions of career anchors orientations at various
stages of professional preparation and map to engineering
technology (ET) career pathways by surveying ET students,
transfer students, and early career ET professionals. The
complexity of integration of the multiple stages of professional
preparation, within diverse environments, has led the researchers
to integrate three interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks to
examine fundamental questions of professional formation: (1)
social cognitive career theory to situate individual attitudes,
interests, and experiences within a larger career context; (2)
Schein’s Career Anchors Theory focused on individual career
orientations; and (3) the Hughes Value Creation Model for
Organizational Competitive Advantage focused on cultural and
organizational contexts. Initial results from the Schein’s Career
Anchor survey for the two-year college ET students are presented.
Findings from this and future work will transform the ET
workforce through catalyzing interaction of researchers and
practitioners with public support to bolster ET’s strategic position
in the workforce development infrastructure.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1825126
- PAR ID:
- 10112826
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Foundations in Education Annual 2019 Conference
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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