Title :
Why I want to be an Engineer
Author :
Peeples, John W.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., The Citadel, Charleston, SC
Abstract :
Knowing why students select engineering as a course of study is a first step toward capturing their interest, and providing the insights and encouragement they need to complete the challenging journey. Short-essay input on the topic "Why I Want to be an Engineer" has been collected on the first day of class from first-year engineering students, at two institutions, and over a 9-year period. These qualitative records are analyzed to reveal general correlations between choice of major and the student\´s perceived personal attributes, his or her wants and desires and guidance he or she may have received from adult acquaintances or mentors. Information collection and analysis methods are discussed and comparative results are provided covering seven classes between 1997 and 2005
Keywords :
engineering education; engineering course; engineering students; Educational institutions; Engineering profession; Engineering students; Information analysis; Recruitment; Reflection; Testing; Engineering; Freshman; Major; Why;
Conference_Titel :
Frontiers in Education Conference, 36th Annual
Conference_Location :
San Diego, CA
Print_ISBN :
1-4244-0256-5
Electronic_ISBN :
0190-5848
DOI :
10.1109/FIE.2006.322404
