2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This study evaluates the Future Self Continuity Questionnaire (FSCQ) for use in engineering education research. Originally developed to measure perceptions of self-continuity over time, the FSCQ has been validated in general adult populations but has not been formally assessed for use with engineering students. As interest grows in understanding how students imagine their professional futures—especially in response to educational interventions—reliable and valid instruments are needed to capture such constructs. The FSCQ measures three latent dimensions of future self-perception: relatedness (similarity to one’s future self), vividness (clarity and realism of imagined future self), and positivity (desirability of one’s future self). In this study, the FSCQ was embedded in pre- and post-surveys administered to engineering undergraduates (N = 292 pre; N = 161 post) at a large R1 university. Survey administration was accompanied by two rounds of think-aloud protocols (TAPs) with 15 students to investigate how participants interpreted the FSCQ items. Statistical analysis showed that the FSCQ retained internal reliability across the three constructs, with Cronbach’s alpha in the acceptable-to-good range. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor model, with CFI and TLI exceeding 0.90 and SRMR well below 0.08. While RMSEA slightly exceeded recommended thresholds, overall model fit was strong. Regression analysis detected statistically significant pre-post change on several FSCQ items for male and East Asian participants, suggesting the instrument is sensitive to change across demographic groups. Qualitative analysis of the TAPs revealed two recurring interpretive challenges: students often conflated “beliefs” and “values” in the relatedness items, and many had difficulty imagining future family relationships, which suggests a limited ability to vividly envision reasonably accurate future selves. These challenges corresponded with the constructs that showed relatively lower internal consistency. Together, the findings support the structural validity of the FSCQ and suggest it can be used effectively with engineering students, particularly in pre/post study designs. The FSCQ shows promise as a brief, theory-based instrument for evaluating future self-perception in engineering education research across diverse study contexts.