Educational research priorities in engineering

The purpose of this study was to determine the research priorities and publication trends in engineering education in the USA over the interval of 1996 to 2006, through an examination of the key peer-reviewed journals, professional organizations, government documents, and interviews with experts in the field. Analysis of the data identified engineering epistemologies, learning mechanisms, learning systems, diversity and inclusiveness, and assessment as the research priorities of the field of engineering education over the last decade. Analysis of the publication record of three key journals in the field revealed that the publication trends over that time interval were: 1) teaching, learning and assessment processes, 2) teachers and learners, and 3) courses, laboratories, curricula, instructional materials, and learning technologies. A comparison of research priorities versus publishing trends identified the following areas as deficiencies in the research base: 1) educational management and goal systems, 2) political, economic, and social influences on engineering education, and 3) diffusion of educational innovations.