2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

While identity-related research in STEM and engineering education is growing, the field of engineering technology (ET) remains significantly understudied. This oversight is critical, as ET programs are a vital component of the engineering workforce, producing graduates with unique hands-on skills who are often called “Engineers” in their job title and duties. Thus, understanding the professional identity formation of ET students, is essential for curriculum design, student retention, and effective workforce integration. Building on prior work, this paper will explore professional identity formation in a capstone course populated by both undergraduate Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) students. The study seeks to answer: 1) How do ME and MET students compare in terms of their professional identity development at the culmination of their undergraduate programs? 2) How does a professional milestone like the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam impact MET students’ perception of becoming an engineering professional compared to their ME peers?
The Professional Identity Status Questionnaire - 5 Dimensions (PISQ-5d) instrument, along with additional contextual questions, was adapted and administered to 117 ME and 45 MET students in their capstone course at [place]. Students provided self-reported ratings to indicators measuring five dimensions of professional identity formation: Affirmation (feeling confident in one's career choice), In-depth exploration (actively learning about the profession), Practices (engaging in professional behaviors), Identification with commitment (a sense of belonging to the profession), and Reconsideration of commitment (doubting one's career choice). Based on these results, a professional identity status was suggested by grouping students into Achievement, Foreclosure, Moratorium, and Diffusion statuses through K-Means clustering and correlational analysis.
By comparing MET and ME students, this study provides a valuable interdisciplinary perspective on ET programs. A detailed discussion of the study’s methodology and the full analysis of the results will be provided. The paper will conclude with recommendations for future research and practice, offering insights that can inform engineering and engineering technology education practitioners with strategies to better prepare students for successful entry into the engineering workforce.