2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Each one of us learns the same things differently based on our preferred way of learning. We can learn by building mental models; through feelings, emotions, attitudes; and by physical movements. Based on this, the domains of learning are broadly categorized as cognitive (knowledge), affective (attitudes), and psychomotor (skills). In this research study, the focus is only on the affective domain. The affective domain emphasizes learning using emotions, attitudes, and feelings. The affective domain has been categorized into a hierarchy of skills/levels based on emotions. These five levels, in order of their hierarchy, are receiving, responding, valuing, organization, and characterization. This research study aims at answering the following research question, ‘How do undergraduate engineering students understand and perceive learning through the affective domain of learning?’

A qualitative research design was used, and the interview questions were designed based on the five hierarchy levels of affective domain. Five participants were recruited from different engineering disciplines to participate in an interview (Zoom)of 45-60 minutes. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. NVivo was used to code and organize the qualitative data for further analysis. First, an open coding approach was used to code the data and then the data was coded in correspondence to each interview question.

When participants were asked general questions about how they perceive learning through the affective domain, most students expressed a positive outlook towards learning new concepts in general. However, they also noted a decrease in engagement, interest, or positive feelings when dealing with material taught in a confusing manner, unbalanced demands in a class's structures, and dealing with unengaging closed off teachers or TAs. When responding to a new concept, participants said they will evaluate what they do and do not understand, see what questions or thoughts other students have, review notes, and practice. As students interacted with others, they also felt positive towards a topic that they understood and had a chance to explain to a peer that was struggling with the same topic. Whether students felt positively or negatively towards a concept, participants stayed motivated to learn because they valued their education and recognized that it was necessary to learn, graduate, and/or get qualified for a job of interest to them. Also, when a student must organize or prioritize learning one concept over another, four participants agreed that it has no effect on their opinion of that topic and is just a necessity for time constraints. However, they do feel more comfortable with those topics they spend more time on. There was one participant who stated they were not good at prioritizing, so they would focus on what concepts seemed most interesting. Finally, with the characterization hierarchical level, participants noted that they became generally more organized, able to break problems down into smaller parts, and able to explain or determine what the root cause of a problem is. While these findings are important, further research is necessary to discover how to maximize students' learning with a focus on affective domain of learning.