How salient is the identity of engineering students? on the use of the Engineering Student Identity Survey

Abstract

Despite efforts to diversify the undergraduate engineering student body, recruitment and retention issues still persist. We attempt to address this problem by conducting research to better understand engineering students through the lens of identity theory. Implications of this effort are twofold: (1) to contribute to our understanding of engineering students' identities as well as what factors (experiences and settings) foster the formation and transformation of these identities during the undergraduate experience, and (2) to gain insight into improving recruitment and retention of engineering students, particularly underrepresented students. However, in order to empirically explore the role of identity, we must first have a psychometrically sound measure of engineering student identity. In developing the Engineering Student Identity Survey (E-SIS), our research team administered the survey to four cohorts of engineering students to investigate whether the E-SIS could differentiate, in predictable ways, the salience of engineering identity across cohorts. The measured constructs were derived from extensive theoretical underpinnings in social identity theory (i.e. interest, unified self-concept, sense of belonging, self-enhancement, participation, distinctiveness, social support, in-group cooperation, citizenship behavior, visibility of affiliation). Results indicate that the E-SIS is able to discriminate between first-, second-, and third/fourth-year students, to varying degrees, on all of the ten subscales used in the analyses. Potential applications and improvements are evident based on these results.