2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Engineering or Physical Sciences: How to Choose? An Exploration of How First-Year University Students Choose between Studying the Physical Sciences and Engineering

Presented at Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering Division (TELPhE) Technical Session 1

Engineering and the physical sciences share many common foundations in both knowledge and required skills. Yet working scientists and professional engineers may be more inclined to express the differences between their professions and domains of practice, rather than their similarities. The differences between the natural sciences and engineering – in their goals, activities, fields of study, level of materials studied, methodologies, and cultures – have been discussed by scholars in the philosophy and sociology of science as well as by scholars of the practice of engineering and in the emerging field of the philosophy of engineering. Given the actual and perceived disciplinary and career differences between the physical sciences and engineering, how do undergraduate students choose between them for university study?

This paper seeks to answer this question by analyzing and examining the results from an ethically-approved online research questionnaire directed at first-year undergraduate university students conducted in September 2022 at a mid-sized comprehensive university. The questionnaire consists of 29 items that ask respondents about the influence of personal, familial, educational, societal/cultural factors on their interest in or decision to study engineering or one of the physical sciences, as well as about their perceptions of engineering versus the physical sciences. Demographic information is also collected from the respondents. The outcomes reported in this paper consist of statistical correlations, as assessed by significance levels, from analysis of the questionnaire data.

The theoretical framework for our inquiry is primarily situated within the scientific perspective of critical realism that conceives of knowledge as resulting from the correct understanding of the data of experience, and in which adult students are viewed as operating within horizons of their knowledge and values; within this framework, education can be viewed as constructivist. Within that framework and the context of this study we also explore the dynamics of common models of decision making, including those of rational choice theory, value-focused decision making, and others. Other theoretical influences include Friere’s liberation pedagogy, cognitive and affective interactions in attraction to and identification with professional careers, and new literacies for engineering and science.

The paper will also discuss how the statistical results from the survey may inform outreach and pedagogy for science and engineering, and thus help to foster greater attraction and retention of undergraduate students in STEM fields, and greater career sustainability and life satisfaction for STEM graduates.

Authors

Dr. Janna Rosales Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada [biography]

Janna Rosales works at the crossroads of the sciences and humanities, where she explores the intent, values, and needs that go into the decisions we make about technology. She teaches ethics and professionalism in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She collaborates with the Memorial University-based MetaKettle Project, which studies the theory and practice of integrative engineering education. She contributes to various local and national initiatives dedicated to equity and inclusion in engineering education, technological stewardship, and professional reflection in engineering.
Mr. Amit Sundly Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada [biography]

Amit Sundly is an up-and-coming interdisciplinary researcher who has conducted both qualitative and quantitative research. His M.Ed. thesis focused on the previously understudied academic decision-making patterns of undergraduate engineering students, revealing disparities in engineering education in Newfoundland and Labrador. Amit received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University in India, and his M.Ed. in Educational Leadership Studies from the Faculty of Education at Memorial University. Currently, he is a final year Ph.D. candidate (Social Justice and Equity in Health Stream) at the Division of Community Health and Humanities of the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University. Amit's research interests revolve around the intersection of health, education, and social welfare, and critical assessment of public policies and contemporary social issues.
Dr. Svetlana Barkanova Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada [biography]

Dr. Svetlana Barkanova obtained her BSc in physics from the University of Latvia in 1994 and earned her PhD in theoretical subatomic physics from the University of Manitoba in 2004. An internationally-acclaimed researcher and an award-winning teacher, Svetlana is currently a Full Professor of Physics at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Grenfell Campus, where she leads the provincial science outreach program designed to engage rural youth, girls and Indigenous students. Svetlana is the Chair of the Division for Gender Equity in Physics of the Canadian Association of Physicists, the Director of Outreach of WISE NL working on initiatives such as Indigenous Youth Gatherings, and a popular public presenter.
Dr. Cecilia Moloney Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada [biography]

Cecilia Moloney is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. From 2004-2009 she held the NSERC/Petro-Canada Chair for Women in Science and Engineering, Atlantic Region, and later started the legacy MetaKettle Project at Memorial University to develop and implement integrative methods in engineering and science education. Her other research includes radar signal and image processing.

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