International Engineering Students Research Articles

Navigating educational trajectories and transitions: A qualitative systematic literature review on international STEM doctoral students

AbstractTo date, much of the research on international science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) doctoral students has focused either on international academic mobility or on students' acculturation and adjustment challenges and coping mechanisms in foreign academic contexts. In comparison, very little attention has been paid to Asian doctoral students and their personal experiences from a life course perspective.Based on a qualitative literature review, this article sheds light on the experiences of Asian doctoral students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines within a life-course theoretical approach, paying particular attention to their agency, socialisation, and educational trajectories and transitions. The process of migration/mobility and transition between academic institutions requires a reassessment of cognitive patterns, behaviours, learning mechanisms, and the exercise of agency and response. The findings highlight how the complex dynamics between agency, socialisation, cultural norms and values, economic factors, academic performance, and institutional parameters influence the educational trajectories and transitions of Asian STEM doctoral students abroad. The result contributes to a synthesis of research findings that could inform doctoral education policy.

Securing work placements: strategies among international engineering students

ABSTRACT As part of their international higher education experience, international students in some degree programs are required to secure and complete work placements. This is challenging to many, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, there is limited research on how international students navigate challenges to secure placements in their host country, which informed the current study. Data was gathered through 39 semi-structured interviews with 13 international engineering students and eight interviews with eight WIL staff. The study contributes to the literature by formulating the Perceiving–Planning–Performing Model (3-P Model), untangling students’ cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral engagement in securing placements. The Model informs stakeholder strategies in nurturing international students’ agency to secure placements and post-graduation work in their host country and globally.

Moving beyond the “international” label: A call for the inclusion of the (in)visible international engineering students

Moving beyond the “international” label: A call for the inclusion of the (in)visible international engineering students

Influencing Factors Impacting Women to select Engineering- A Range of Perspectives

To find solutions to complex problems, engineering practice needs to adapt and embrace diverse thinking. The lack of female participation in engineering fields, in the western world including New Zealand, at the tertiary education level (post secondary/high school level e.g., university, polytechnic, etc.) has been a barrier for diversity, equity and innovation in both the industry and academic professions. Non-diverse professions miss out valuable contributions and new ways of approaching problems that a varied workforce brings. New Zealand needs to mitigate the gender bias to ensure a diversity of skills and knowledge in the engineering profession is fostered. This paper presents findings from three studies as part of a larger research project aimed at investigating influencing factors that contribute to female participation in engineering studies at the tertiary level in New Zealand. In the three studies researchers explored student teachers, current polytechnic engineering students and high school students’ perceptions, experiences, and influences related to engineering.
 The first study investigated future teachers of children aged 11-13 years perceptions of engineering and engineers. The second study investigated the impacts and influences that led domestic and international female engineering students choose the Civil Engineering programme at Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec). The third study investigated the impacts and influences that led to Year 12 and 13 students to enrol in a trades engineering related course at Wintec. The three completed studies deployed qualitative research methods using focus group and individual interviews.
 The first study found that participants held very strong stereotypical views about who engineers are and described them as: white, male, middle-aged, good at maths and science who may be antisocial, and that they design and build stuff while getting dirty. The second study found that barriers to selection of engineering for women include the school system; lack of career and subject choice guidance available to students at school, lack of promotion of the profession, and society’s perception of engineers as being masculine. The third study found that young women were exposed to strong stereotypical thinking and behaviours throughout their lives that could potentially steer them away from a career in engineering. Other barriers included a lack of timely, accurate career advice, outdated school facilities and inauthentic enactment of curriculum. However, exposure to positive role models and strong support networks, along with developing self-efficacy, assisted them to overcome these barriers enabling them to explore engineering as a potential career pathway.
 Given the strong stereotypical views about engineering from future teachers, incorrect perceptions about engineering in society and lack of engineering career and subject choice guidance available to students at school, it is not surprising that there is a shortage of females entering engineering fields in New Zealand.

Analysis of Mental Health and Impact Factors of International Students of Science and Engineering in China-Taking a University in Western China as an example

To explore the mental health of international students of science and engineering in China and provide an empirical basis for psychological crisis prevention and intervention, Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90) was used to investigate 116 such international students in a university of western China and demographic variables including gender, education level, Chinese proficiency, and social support are analyzed. The results show that each factor score of SCL-90 is less than 2 points; the top three factors are obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression, and others. The scores of each factor of SCL-90 are different and follow certain regularity with different demographic variables. Each factor’s female score is higher than that of male; Mental health status is positively correlated with Chinese proficiency and social support and negatively correlated with education level. The overall mental health of international science and engineering students is relatively good. Specific efforts should be implemented to decrease the prevalence of psychological disorders, and some associated mental health education should be carried out based on the characteristics of such international students.

Analysis of Mental Health and Impact Factors of International Students of Science and Engineering in China-Taking a University in Western China as an example

To explore the mental health of international students of science and engineering in China and provide an empirical basis for psychological crisis prevention and intervention, Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90) was used to investigate 116 such international students in a university of western China and demographic variables including gender, education level, Chinese proficiency, and social support are analyzed. The results show that each factor score of SCL-90 is less than 2 points; the top three factors are obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression, and others. The scores of each factor of SCL-90 are different and follow certain regularity with different demographic variables. Each factor’s female score is higher than that of male; Mental health status is positively correlated with Chinese proficiency and social support and negatively correlated with education level. The overall mental health of international science and engineering students is relatively good. Specific efforts should be implemented to decrease the prevalence of psychological disorders, and some associated mental health education should be carried out based on the characteristics of such international students.

Engineering education amid a global pandemic

To investigate the impact of the sudden shift to online education triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey was conducted among international mechanical engineering students, specializing in manufacturing technology, at the TU Dortmund University. The surveyed students, were exposed to differently structured online courses from different institutes, as well as dynamic developments in each online course, over the semester and thus were able to effectively assess the pros and cons of the different teaching styles. To get the viewpoints of both the involved parties on how a successful online education course needs to be structured, a similar survey was also conducted among manufacturing engineering professors involved in Germany. The survey, a combination of Likert-scale and free-text questions, tackled the aspects of motivation to teach and learn, ensuring effective teaching and learning, and proper assessment of the learning outcomes in an online education system. The results show that both parties initially struggled with the transition, but later adapted quickly to the new style of online teaching that was inspired by the conventional flipped classroom concept. Certain structures and approaches to online teaching, such as pre-recorded lectures; interactive Q&A sessions; quizzes for self-assessment, are preferred by students and teachers alike. Aspects where the viewpoints differed could be explained by the difference in age and the experience in using digital equipment. A challenge specific to online engineering education is on offering laboratory experiences to students. Possible solutions such as virtual labs, remote labs and digital-live labs that aid in overcoming this challenge are presented. Finally, based on the survey results and the author experiences on digital laboratories, best practice guidelines are presented that will help the readers in the design and deployment of online engineering courses.

Interactive Teaching Concept for a Data Analytics Workshop in Learning Factories

Learning factories allow for hands-on teaching of theoretical concepts in a simulated business environment. There, the opportunities provided by digital assistance with work-flows and the high value of acquired process data are already an integral part of the offered courses, mostly as theoretical input. To improve the learning experience of participants taught at learning factories, an interactive teaching concept for digital topics is developed. Based on existing methodologies for developing teaching concepts in learning factories, a workshop on data analytics is presented. To provide an immersive learning experience, a workshop setting is selected that builds upon previously experienced workshops of the participants at the LEAD Factory. Simulated data is created, which complements the chosen setting and gives valuable insights when applying the taught data analytics techniques in practice. Finally, the participants are tasked to answer domain specific questions using the provided data by applying the taught techniques. The workshop has already been tested with international mechanical engineering students having little to no previous experience with data analytics, but some education in statistics, probability theory and linear algebra. Based on an evaluation after the workshop, the participants expressed the feeling that they were able to understand the basic principles of data analytics and the underlying process and know of common challenges in the field because of the practical application of the techniques directly after the theoretical input, thus leveraging the unique learning environment which learning factories provide.

Information literacy instruction for international graduate engineering students: A case study at University of Windsor

In recent years, the University of Windsor has seen a significant increase in international student enrolments, especially in the graduate engineering programs. Previous studies indicate that international students often have difficulties in developing information literacy skills. Furthermore, many engineering students lack library research skills essential for succeeding in academic study. However, there is a scarcity of studies focusing on information literacy instruction for international engineering students and existing research in this area seldom utilizes statistical analysis methods to determine the effectiveness of the instruction. This paper aims to fill in the literature gap by examining the impact of an information literacy session geared towards international graduate engineering students at the University of Windsor. Statistical analysis of the paired pre-post survey tests reveals that the session has significantly improved the students' understanding of certain aspects of information literacy, including searching and locating information, but not the areas of identifying and evaluating information. Further instructions and additional support integrated into graduate seminars or other classes as well as offered outside of classrooms will be beneficial to these students, particularly in the areas of identifying information, evaluating information, finding scholarly sources, and other more advanced information literacy topics.

The Role of Goal Orientation and Epistemological Beliefs in Intrinsic Motivation among International Engineering Students

Many studies have examined separately the impacts of goal orientations and epistemological beliefs on intrinsic motivation; however, they have not investigated the two concepts in combination to examine their interrelationships with intrinsic motivation. Using Self-Determination theory, this study utilized a cross-sectional research design involving 338 international engineering students who were selected by multistage sampling. Data were analyzed through SPSS v.23. Results of the correlation analysis revealed a significant association between goal orientation and intrinsic motivation. However, associations with epistemological beliefs were found to be insignificant. Moreover, multiple regressions revealed that goal orientations were found to be the only and the main predictor constructs that account for variance in intrinsic motivation. The results of this research provide support for a growing body of evidence regarding the positive outcomes of goal orientation adoption among the students. The findings can be used by educational instructors to offer and establish the optimal learning environment by the inclusion of interesting and enjoyable activities, along with helping students to foster their intrinsic motivation by setting optimal and realistic goals during their academic activities in the university phase.

Minimising Intercultural Communication Difficulties when Teaching International Students with the Help of an Electronic Educational Complex

This study describes the use of an electronic educational complex for international engineering students. While doing so, it analyses whether the studied complex can reduce intercultural interaction difficulties and thus become a motivating factor in the educational process as a whole.

Shaping the environmental consciousness of international engineering students in class Russian language

The article is devoted to the issues of forming ecological consciousness of foreign students of technical universities at the classes on Russian as a foreign language. The article gives definition of ecological consciousness; methods of formation of competence of a future engineer as a specialist, who is aware of the necessity to observe ecological principles in his work, are studied. The statistics of student polls on environmental problems is given. Reading texts on environmental topics, preparation of monologic statement on the theme “Environmental problems of our time”, holding a discussion club, preparation of scientific reports on environmental issues, participation in an imitation role-playing game, participation in events of the university, devoted to environmental protection, help to realize the importance of the problem and the need to solve it in the professional activity of a technicalspecialist.

Testing the Validity of GRE Scores on Predicting Graduate Performance for National and International Engineering Students

Numerous research studies have examined the validity of GRE scores in predicting graduate success, however, some limitations still exist. This study targeted graduate engineering programs and investigated the validity of GRE scores in predicting graduate engineering GPA (GGPA). In addition, the differences in the validity of GRE scores between American and international students and between masters’ and doctoral students were compared. The GRE’s incremental predictive ability over undergraduate GPA (UGPA) and TOEFL scores was examined. Data were obtained from 1083 students from the engineering programs in a large, comprehensive midwestern university. Results indicated that GRE was useful in forecasting GGPA of graduate engineering students. The GRE scores explained more criterion variance for American students than for international students, but statistically significant differences were only found when GRE-Quantitative predicted GGPA. The GRE-Verbal and GRE-Quantitative scores had different patterns in predicting graduate grades for master’s and doctoral students. UGPA was found to be a very strong predictor, and TOEFL scores were significantly correlated with the criterion variables. GRE scores, however, were found to have significant incremental validity over UGPA and TOEFL scores. TOEFL scores were less able to make predictions.

The Right Tools for the Job: Discipline-Specific Language-Learning for First-Year International Engineering Students

Vantage College at UBC offers specialized first-year programs for international students that integrate core disciplinary courses with complementary language education to allow students to develop their communication skills before joining their direct-entry counterparts for the remainder of their studies. This paper builds on the partnership between two first year engineering chemistry courses and their adjunct language courses, in which the instructors work closely together to accomplish mutual learning objectives. As a measure of the effectiveness of this integrated approach on the development of discipline-specific communication skills, the frequency of specific language error types are tracked in student’s lab reports, across two terms, and students report through a survey their perception of how this integrated approach helped them develop their technical communication skills. Overall, as indicated by both significant reductions in the frequency of several error types, as well as the responses provided by students, this integrated approach is effective, and the data suggests key areas of focus for further improvement.

Implementation and Student Assessment of a Two-stage Midterm Exam in a First-year Physical Chemistry Course for International Engineering Students

Group exams have been shown to improve student performance, retention of material, and teamwork and communication skills. This paper assesses the opinion of students regarding group exams, and their perception of potential benefits and impacts on their learning, before and after having participated in one. Both a traditional and two-stage exam were performed in first-year physical chemistry courses in the engineering stream of Vantage College at UBC, which means the participating cohort is entirely composed of international students with a range of English-language communication skills.The overall experience of students with group exams, based on survey responses, was positive, and the large majority of students indicated they would like to continue using this format of exam in the future. The perception of group exams improved before and after having written one, with the students initially overestimating the difficulty, stress, and level of conflict associated with this process. Some students indicated less confidence that peer learning helped them improve their performance after having written the exam, but further study to elucidate the significance and the causes of this result.

Master Programme “Information and Electrical Engineering” for International Students at Hochschule Wismar: Theoretical Framework

Abstract Hochschule Wismar, Germany, has been implementing Master programmes for international students since 1992. However, for most European universities, it is a rather new phenomenon. The purpose of the work is to analyse scientific literature on European higher education programmes for international students and to outline a theoretical framework of European higher education programmes for international students underpinning elaboration of new research question on master programmes for international engineering students. The research methodology comprises the study of the meaning of the key concepts of “framework”, “theoretical framework” and “international students”. Moreover, the logical chain of analysis is shown: theoretical framework → empirical study within a multicultural environment → conclusions. The case study research is applied. The empirical study was carried out at Hochschule Wismar, Germany in March 2017. Semi-structured interview served as the basis for data collection. The empirical findings allow complementing the elaborated theoretical framework consisting of the concepts on reasons for, language and impact of Masetr programme for international students with such a concept as European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Directions of further research are proposed. The novel contribution of the paper is the newly formulated research question on master programmes for international students.

From the Co-Editors

In the most recent issue of the NACADA Journal, we began by offering our deep respect and gratitude to the former Journal Co-Editors for their skillful work in shaping the Journal into the premiere publication for the scholarship of academic advising. Now we find ourselves expressing our heartfelt sadness for the recent passing of Dr. Leigh S. Shaffer. Thus, we begin this issue with a dedication to Dr. Shaffer by his close friend and former NACADA Journal Co-Editor, Dr. Rich Robbins, who offers a personal tribute to the life and contributions of a remarkable higher education professional, colleague, and friend. While it is difficult to acknowledge his absence, we know that Dr. Shaffer's positive influence will have a continuing impact on the Journal and on the lives of all those he touched. We celebrate a life well lived and dedicate this issue to Dr. Leigh S. Shaffer.This issue of the NACADA Journal explores a range of salient topics facing academic advising from multiple perspectives gained through employing multiple methodological approaches. The authors explore perceptions and expectations of academic advising from both student and advisor points of view, consider academic advising within international contexts, challenge those in higher education to consider new ways of thinking about cultural immutability, and offer sharpened insights and thoughtful suggestions on assessment and improvement.In a Letter to the Editor, Ilya Winham, while not disagreeing with Andrew Puroway's (2016) attribution of advising as a political activity, suggests that a reflection on power dynamics in higher education might be a fruitful approach to advisor-student conversations.By comparing espoused ideals with practice, Sean Bridgen offered an examination on ways systemic issues contribute to the perpetuation of an enacted academic advising culture. The use of a case study approach allowed Bridgen to capture contextual nuances critical to the work of advising.Using the introduction of a new 4-year undergraduate curriculum as impetus for change, Rhonda Cheung, Andrew Siu, and Daniel Shek conducted a needs assessment to inform the development of an academic advising program at a Hong Kong university. Their survey results expand the understanding of student expectations of academic advising and academic advisors in a context outside of North America.Leaf Zhang and Trang Dinh, through a phenomenological study using semi-structured interviews, explored advisors' cultural awareness and competence in terms of knowledge, motivations, and abilities, and they looked at the influence of that competence on advisors' experiences in working with international engineering students. They adapted the intercultural communication competence theoretical framework as a means to guide their exploration on the advisor point of view.The articles in this issue shift to topics of understanding phenomena from the student perspective with a description from Ruth Walker, Alexandra Zelin, Carolyn Behrman, and Rachel Strnad of the formation and maintenance of student perceptions of advising. The researchers utilized story circles and structured interviews to understand ways students form their expectations of advising and advisors. Their work affirms previous research linking experiences with high school guidance counselors to student expectations regarding academic advising in college. Through their processual model, the understanding of the conceptual, informational, and relational elements of academic advising is enhanced.Krista Soria, Nicole Laumer, Dale Morrow, and Garrett Marttinen used a mixed-methods approach to understand the effectiveness of employing a strengths-based approach for academic advising. They gathered data from matched pairs of students and from advisors through the use of focus groups. The results suggest a positive influence of strengths-based advising for both students and advisors.Ye He and Bryant Hutson proposed a paradigm shift with regard to the consideration of faculty advising as service. Through their lens of assessment for rather than of faculty advisors, they promote the engagement of the faculty in a process designed to support advising improvement.In an exploration using work adjustment and social cognitive career theories, H. Gibbs Knotts and Claire Wofford informed the understanding of factors that contribute to the satisfaction and efficacy self-perceptions of pre-law advisors. Their findings suggest that among the many factors affecting advisor self-perceptions, the most salient related to an earned JD, sufficient resources, and time devoted to advising, which characterized study participants who reported relatively high levels of job satisfaction and self-perceived ability to help students gain admission to and succeed in law school.In summary, as is the tradition of the Journal, this issue offers critical concerns related to the role of academic advising in higher education through a variety of designs, lenses, and theoretical frameworks. We are interested in your reactions as you engage with these latest contributions to the literature: Use #MyNacadaJournal to respond!

Learning facilitating leadership

ABSTRACTThis paper explains how engineering students at a Danish university acquired the necessary skills to become emergent facilitators of organisational development. The implications of this approach are discussed and related to relevant viewpoints and findings in the literature. The methodology deployed for this paper is empirical and conceptual. A specific facilitation project carried out by six international engineering students is presented. The importance of combining cognitive, emotional and synergistic skills is highlighted on the basis of this example, the authors’ extensive experience in teaching facilitation and the literature. These types of skills are most effectively acquired by combining conceptual lectures, classroom exercises and the facilitation of groups in a real-life context. The paper also reflects certain ‘shadow sides’ related to facilitation observed by the students and discussed in the literature. The educational process description and reflections presented in this paper can help university staff and mentors in public and private organisations to adopt interactive methods for education and training. A brief overview of the methods used is included in the Appendix. By connecting the literature, the authors’ and engineering students’ reflections on facilitator skills, this paper adds value to existing academic and practical discussions on learning facilitating leadership.

Transnational Connected Learning and Experimentation - Using live online classes and remote labs for preparing international engineering students for an international working world

Students, who are leaving their home country for taking part in an international study program, face several challenges. Not only the new course of studies can be very challenging but also their whole living conditions may change significantly. This can be a severe clash especially for students who are moving to a country with a totally different cultural background in comparison to their home countries. Moreover, it can profoundly complicate the first weeks at the new university. Knowing about the difficulties the Institute of Forming Technology and Lightweight Construction (IUL) at TU Dortmund University in Germany developed a preparational online course for those international students, who are coming to the IUL for their Master of Science program in Manufacturing Technology (MMT; a special international master program). In context of this course the use of the IUL’s remote laboratory equipment was a key aspect. The course itself was implemented and delivered for the first time in 2014. By now a second updated edition was delivered in 2015. It was designed to prepare the students as best as possible for their new studies at a German university and at the same time prepare them for transnational collaboration. Hence, this course is a good example for a meaningful integration of remote laboratories into an innovative online course concept. On the one hand making use of remote laboratories and its practical integration in online courses helps to connect the international students and on the other hand it brings them into the situation to interact in context of a typical engineering situation, the experiment. The paper presents the course itself and experiences from its first and second implementation.

Sustaining the Pipeline: Experiences of International Female Engineers in U.S. Graduate Programs

AbstractBackgroundResearch regarding international female engineering graduate students tends to be aggregated with that about the experiences of international students in the United States or as the struggles of female engineers in engineering disciplines. Therefore, this study was conducted to understand the unique experiences of international female students in U.S. engineering graduate programs.Purpose/HypothesisThis study examined the theoretical intersections of sustainability and liminality in the experiences of international female graduate students in U.S. engineering programs. The study explored the tensions and challenges faced by international female engineering students in navigating engineering graduate programs.Design/MethodUsing qualitative detailed interviews and focus groups conducted with 49 participants, I explored the ways international female engineering students understood the tensions they experienced and developed strategies of persistence in responding to their liminal status within the engineering graduate programs.ResultsThree themes on the practices of sustainability in navigating liminality emerged from the data: constructing inclusion, challenging invisibility, and reengineering professional efficacy. The themes reflect the everyday strategies of survival the students participate in amid the challenging environment of the academic organizations.ConclusionsInternational female engineers in U.S. graduate engineering programs exist in liminal spaces where their identities are continually being challenged. Through reconstructing inclusion, challenging their invisibility, and reengineering professional efficacy, they transform these liminal spaces to their advantage and persist in their struggles with the challenges they experience.