Why Engineering? – Exploring the Link Between Students’ Self-concepts and their Person or Thing Orientation

Abstract

This research full paper examines how a student’s self-concept plays a role in choosing to enter an engineering program. Student representation in engineering programs is largely homogenous, which likely hampers growth and progress in this field. Society’s views of an engineer and engineering work are similarly homogenous and may lend to the field’s lack of diversity. Because the stereotype of engineers is skewed towards "masculine" and "thing-oriented," we measured self-concept in terms of three dimensions: gender, thing orientation, and person orientation. We compared these facets of first-year students to their reasoning for pursuing an undergraduate engineering degree. We found that students’ reasons for undertaking an engineering degree aligned with their self-concept, such that role models and their personal views of what engineering entails and accomplishes fit with their self-concept. Understanding what leads students to pursue this challenging degree can help with efforts to reach a more diverse student population and develop the interests of potential engineers from a young age.