2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Analysis of Student Motivation in an Introductory Engineering Technology Gateway Course

Presented at First-Year Programs Division (FYP) - Technical Session 5: Supporting Success 2

Student motivation has a large impact on information retention levels and overall student learning. Previous studies have demonstrated the higher a student’s intrinsic motivation, the more successful the student will be in the learning process. At the post-secondary level, student interest is often tied to expected career pathways and outcomes. This work explores student motivation in an engineering technology introductory foundations course. The course is required for all students in the engineering technology department and is recommended for students exploring the engineering technology discipline, creating a unique culture within the classroom. The course includes two lectures, one recitation, a hands-on laboratory, and has a total enrollment of over 300 undergraduate students from more than ten different majors. Students enrolled in the course completed a set of surveys based on the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) which is based on self-determination theory and is designed to measure perceived interest, intrinsic motivation, and other factors. The structure of this survey was built using subsets of questions (interest/enjoyment, perceived competence, value/usefulness, and relatedness) and quantitative responses based on a 7-point Likert scale. A statistical analysis was conducted to examine the students’ motivation, interest in the discipline, perceived competence, and correlated factors. The students were surveyed mid-semester and at the end of the term to determine the impact course activities had on their perceptions. Study results showed all left-skewed data (high scores) with the highest scores in value/usefulness and lowest in relatedness. This indicates students see the value in the course curriculum and its relation to their future careers but the social environment and peer relations in the course should be improved. Skewness quantitative calculations showed high skew for interest/enjoyment, perceived competence, and relatedness and moderate left-skew for value/usefulness subgroup categories. T-test and Mann-Whitney U-test results did not show a significant difference between mid and end of semester survey results indicating student perceptions of the course were already made by mid-semester. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis showed correlations between perceived competence and value/usefulness, interest/enjoyment, and perceived competence and interest/enjoyment and value/usefulness. These findings support current literature demonstrating higher intrinsic motivation scores lead to higher perceived learning.

Authors

Hernan David Moreno Rueda Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE)
Kevin Michael Simonson
Prof. Jeffrey J. Richardson Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE) [biography]

At Purdue, Professor Richardson teaches courses in electric vehicle technology, prototype construction / project development and management, and courses in embedded microcontroller sequence.
Prof. Eddy Efendy Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE) [biography]

Eddy Efendy currently teaches Mechanics of Materials in the Engineering Technology Program at Purdue University. His research interest is in engineering technology education research.
Dr. Rustin Webster Purdue University, New Albany [biography]

Dr. Rustin Webster is an associate professor in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute at Purdue University and specializes in mechanical engineering and computer graphics technology. Prior to academia, he worked for an aerospace and engineering company as a mechanical engineer, product development lead, and researcher. Dr Webster designed various solutions for multiple branches of the Armed Forces, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He holds a B.S. in Engineering Graphics and Design and a M.S. in Management of Technology from Murray State University, and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Webster is a certified GD&T-Technologist, SOLIDWORKS Expert, and Six Sigma Green Belt. For his teaching and mentoring of students he has been awarded the 2021 ASEE ET National Teaching Award, 2021 Purdue Teaching for Tomorrow Fellowship, 2021 Purdue Teaching Academy Pandemic Teaching Award, 2019 ASEE EDGD Rising Educator Award, and 2019 SME Distinguished Faculty Advisor Award. Dr Webster’s research interests include ET outreach (e.g., recruitment and retention) and design education with focus areas in CAD, instructional techniques (e.g., project-based learning), and technology.
Dr. Brittany A. Newell Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE) [biography]

Dr. Brittany Newell is an associate professor at Purdue University in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute School of Engineering Technology. Brittany received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Purdue University. She then worked in industry as a Quality Manager for a contract manufacturing company before joining the Purdue faculty. Brittany completed her Ph.D. in the field of electroactive polymers for industrial applications. Her current research interests are focused on adaptive structures, capacitance and resistance-based sensors, and the methods and materials to produce them. Dr. Newell is a passionate instructor working on integrated systems thinking in course design and outreach-based student projects.

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