Promoting Globalization of Engineering by Developing Students’ Potential for Productive Communication and Interaction Using Transactional Analysis in a Historically Black College and University

Abstract

Abstract Previous research has indicated the importance of effective communication in globalization as individuals from different countries, languages, cultural inclinations, and other background variations need to understand one another and express themselves to work effectively together. Our ability to interact with others productively during our adulthood has been linked to what happened in our early childhood. Of particular importance to effective interaction is the study by Dr. Eric Berne, a psychologist, who developed the term Transactional Analysis (TA) in the 1950 and the 60s. Transactional analysis is defined by the International Transactional Analysis Association as a theory of personality and a systematic psychotherapy for personal growth and personal change. Dr. Berne postulated that adulthood reactions to situations are largely determined by the treatment received from main caregivers during early childhood (that is birth to 5 years). As part of his theory of personality, he identified three ego-states known as Parent (P), Adult (A), and Child (C). Over the years, Dr. Berne’s theory has been applied in varied fields such as counseling, psychotherapy, organizational development, and education, and various studies have assessed its effectiveness in a wide variety of contexts. However, little research has been done to develop engineering students’ potential for effective communication to promote the globalization of engineering, after being taught TA using Student Presentation Based Effective Teaching (SPET). This study seeks to promote the globalization of engineering by developing students’ potential for productive communication using Transactional Analysis. To achieve this, we developed a Transactional Analysis Tool to evaluate the communication traits of engineering students taught TA through SPET in the MECH 500 Research Experience and Technical Communication (RETC) course and that of a control group, who were not taught TA. The results indicate engineering students introduced to TA, have a high level of self-awareness to effectively communicate globally when compared with that of the control group. We believe that to promote the globalization of engineering, it is important that engineering students’ productive communication competencies are developed through concepts such as TA and Positive Intelligence, by including these in universities’ engineering curricula.