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The Top Three Motivational Factors for Students Entering Pre-engineering or Engineering Programs in Public Four-year Higher Education Institutions in Virginia

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Conference

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Tampa, Florida

Publication Date

June 15, 2019

Start Date

June 15, 2019

End Date

June 19, 2019

Conference Session

ET Pedagogy II

Tagged Division

Engineering Technology

Page Count

10

DOI

10.18260/1-2--33431

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/33431

Download Count

362

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Paper Authors

biography

James Irvin Cooke Jr. Virginia State University

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Director of Assessment and Senior Capstone Experiences
Program Coordinator of Information Logistics program
Department of Technology
Virginia State University

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biography

Jinmyun Jo Virginia State University

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Virginia State University, Associate Professor

Virginia Tech, Ph.D.

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Abstract

There are many influences that affect a person’s decision to enter a science, technology, engineering or mathematical (STEM) major. If the influences are not used suitably, individuals may not be motivated to maximize a positive affect or minimize a negative effect. The purpose of this study was to determine top three motivating factors of high school students’ decisions to enter an engineering program in higher education institutions. The population for the study was engineering students attending four-year public colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia that have pre-engineering or engineering programs. The study implemented a non-experimental, quantitative methods approach to data collection and analysis. A cross-sectional survey design was used as it was the most effective method for collecting large quantities of data quickly and efficiently. The study result showed eighty-three percent of the respondents chose personal interests as an influence on their choice of major, seventy percent of the respondents chose career opportunities as an influence, and forty-three percent of the respondents chose family members as an influence. It is believed that the school divisions can use the findings of the study to increase potential students for engineering majors and school division personnel can use the findings to determine ways to motivate students to be interested in STEM courses.

The purpose of this study was to determine the top three motivating factors of high school students’ decisions to enter an engineering program in higher education institutions. The population for the study was engineering students attending four-year public colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia that have pre-engineering or engineering programs. The sample for this study was engineering students at four year public colleges and universities in Virginia in fall 2014 who participated in the study.

Cooke, J. I., & Jo, J. (2019, June), The Top Three Motivational Factors for Students Entering Pre-engineering or Engineering Programs in Public Four-year Higher Education Institutions in Virginia Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--33431

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