2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Implications of Financial Support for the Academic Efficacy and Mental Health and Wellbeing of Engineering Undergraduates

Presented at Engineering Futures: Navigating the Pathways of Education, Inclusion, and Professional Growth

This research study explores the implications of financial support for academic efficacy and mental health and wellbeing (MHW) in undergraduate engineering. The socioeconomic status of students has been suggested to positively correlate to academic efficacy and success. Students who receive need-based financial support when compared to those who do not receive such support are reported to have higher levels of academic success. The detrimental effects of financial insecurity on the MHW of students have been verified by many studies. In our previous study, we identified financial support to be among the vital factors contributing positively to academic efficacy, and ultimately the MHW of undergraduate engineering students. In the current study, we further explored the importance of financial support by exploring the different ways in which it makes such contributions.
As part of a larger project about MHW of engineering undergraduates, qualitative data was collected from 105 participants through an online open-ended survey at a Western lang-grant institution of higher education in the Spring of 2022. The engineering undergraduate study participants were asked about the different ways in which financial support from different sources enabled them to be academically efficacious. Thematic analysis involving categorization and theming was carried out with two researchers participating in this process.
Findings from the thematic analysis of the data revealed that financial support contributed to engineering undergraduate students’ academic efficacy as it: 1) afforded them more time to focus on studies to achieve academic goals, 2) decreased their psychological insecurities, and 3) even made engineering education possible for some study participants. Financial support came from different sources including parents, spouses, scholarships, and the educational institution.

Authors

Dr. Muhammad Asghar http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-2811-9172 University of Cincinnati [biography]

Muhammad Asghar is a Postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Engineering and Computing Education at the University of Cincinnati (UC). Before coming to UC, he earned a Ph.D. in engineering education, a master's degree in clinical psychology, a master's degree in educational psychology, and a bachelor's degree in computer information systems engineering. Muhammad’s research interests currently focus on students' mental health and wellbeing in engineering education and their behavioral and cognitive problem-solving capabilities. He is actively involved in research related to the integration of positive psychological tools and methods in engineering education practice and research.

Muhammad is also interested in the development and use of new technological and non-technological methods to enhance the learning processes of undergraduate engineering students. He is currently leading a second research project related to use of mobile learning technologies in undergraduate engineering education. This research is exploring available empirical evidence about the role mobile learning technologies may play in improving student accessibility to knowledge, academic engagement and motivation, and self-regulation.
Dr. Angela Minichiello http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4545-9355 Utah State University [biography]

Angela (Angie) Minichiello is a military veteran, licensed mechanical engineer, and associate professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Utah State University. Her research examines issues of access, equity, and identity in the formation of engineers and a diverse, transdisciplinary 21st century engineering workforce. Angie received an NSF CAREER award in 2021 for her work with student veterans and service members in engineering.
Dr. Oenardi Lawanto Utah State University [biography]

Dr. Oenardi Lawanto is a professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Utah State University, USA. He received his B.S.E.E. from Iowa State University, his M.S.E.E. from the University of Dayton, and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Lawanto has a combination of expertise in engineering and education and has more than 30 and 14 years of experience teaching engineering and cognitive-related topics courses for his doctoral students, respectively. He also has extensive experience in working collaboratively with several universities in Asia, the World Bank Institute, and USAID to design and conduct workshops promoting active-learning and life-long learning that is sustainable and scalable. Dr. Lawanto’s research interests include cognition, learning, and instruction, and online learning.
Daniel Kane http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0220-9962 Utah State University [biography]

Daniel Kane is a graduate student at Utah State University pursuing a PhD in Engineering Education with a concurrent master’s degree in Civil Engineering. His research interests focus around mental health and wellbeing of undergraduate engineering students as well as the study of spatial ability in blind and low vision populations.

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Broadening Participation in Engineering and Engineering Technology
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Socio-Economic Status
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