Student perceptions of andragogical orientation and student learning

In order to develop critical thinkers and capable problem solvers it is important to understand the needs of today´s engineering student and design instruction to meet those needs. An important component in that discussion is the degree to which students perceive themselves as adults versus child learners. The issue is important for educators; particularly those who teach senior-level courses, because research on adult learners points toward different classroom methods than those used for children. In this paper, we focus on capstone design - a course often structured to simulate a professional work experience to understand student beliefs regarding their self-perceived orientation as an adult learner and how those beliefs are related to a) their self-perceived learning outcomes and b) the value they place on forms and frequency of feedback. To examine this impact, we draw on the concept of “andragogy.” This study utilizes student data from a 2011 survey of capstone students. The data includes student beliefs regarding the andragogical assumptions, self-reports of their learning, and perceptions of the capstone course. The findings support Knowles´ andragogical assumptions and indicate that student learning in project-based courses have the potential to have higher andragogical orientations. These findings provide insight into the characteristics of the capstone student and provide opportunities for faculty to tailor teaching to meet student needs.