Personal Epistemology of Middle Eastern Graduate Students at Oregon State University: Beliefs about Source of Knowledge

Hashim Alyousef; Shane A. Brown

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: International Division (INTL) Technical Session: Cultural Perspectives
Tagged Division: International Division (INTL)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47842

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Paper Authors

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Hashim Alyousef Oregon State University

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My name is Hashim Alyousef and i am an international student doing my PhD at Oregon State University under Dr. Shane Brown. My focus in my research is about the personal epistemological beliefs of Middle Eastern students and the influence of culture on such beliefs. The research follows a qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews. My goals is to complete my PhD program and focus on education and academia in my home country of Qatar.

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Shane A. Brown P.E. Oregon State University orcid.org/0000-0003-3669-8407

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Shane Brown is an associate professor and Associate School Head in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Oregon State University. His research interests include conceptual change and situated cognition. He received the NSF CAREER award in

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Abstract

Background: Within each engineering classroom, a variety of cultures and backgrounds exist, thus creating a classroom where multiple different epistemological beliefs exist. The different cultures present in a classroom can affect the way both students and teachers engage in a learning session. Many studies use Schommer’s epistemological beliefs survey to identify beliefs, however, there is a lack of research on the epistemological beliefs of Middle Eastern engineering students and the relationship between their beliefs about learning and middle eastern culture. Purpose: This research explores the relationship between academic and home culture and the source of knowledge in the personal epistemology of Middle Eastern graduate engineering students at Oregon State University. Methodology: The research utilizes thematic analysis using semi-structured interviews to study students’ beliefs about the source of knowledge and its relationship to the home and academic culture of Middle Eastern students. Three to six participants are purposively sampled from Oregon State University students enrolled in graduate engineering programs. The sampling process is done using a survey that includes demographic and previous schooling experiences in the Gulf States. Findings/Conclusions: The results are expected to show the influence of both home culture and academic culture on the beliefs of graduate engineering students at Oregon State University. The authoritative nature of the culture in the Gulf States can be vivid in how students accept engineering knowledge without question. In addition, the influence of the pre-college academic culture is transferred over to the college in terms of the source of knowledge in the personal epistemological beliefs. Finally, a development of the epistemological beliefs is expected to happen with the experiences of student in programs in the United States. Implications: Understanding the differences among students’ beliefs about learning aids instructors in developing pedagogies that accommodate those differences in their teaching curricula. Implications on how the existence of cultural differences can help reform the engineering education curriculum and develop engineers with skills necessary to work in diverse groups across different cultures.

Citation
Format

Alyousef, H., & Brown, S. A. (2024, June), Personal Epistemology of Middle Eastern Graduate Students at Oregon State University: Beliefs about Source of Knowledge Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47842

TY - CPAPER
AB - Background: Within each engineering classroom, a variety of cultures and backgrounds exist, thus creating a classroom where multiple different epistemological beliefs exist. The different cultures present in a classroom can affect the way both students and teachers engage in a learning session. Many studies use Schommer’s epistemological beliefs survey to identify beliefs, however, there is a lack of research on the epistemological beliefs of Middle Eastern engineering students and the relationship between their beliefs about learning and middle eastern culture.
Purpose: This research explores the relationship between academic and home culture and the source of knowledge in the personal epistemology of Middle Eastern graduate engineering students at Oregon State University.
Methodology: The research utilizes thematic analysis using semi-structured interviews to study students’ beliefs about the source of knowledge and its relationship to the home and academic culture of Middle Eastern students. Three to six participants are purposively sampled from Oregon State University students enrolled in graduate engineering programs. The sampling process is done using a survey that includes demographic and previous schooling experiences in the Gulf States.
Findings/Conclusions: The results are expected to show the influence of both home culture and academic culture on the beliefs of graduate engineering students at Oregon State University. The authoritative nature of the culture in the Gulf States can be vivid in how students accept engineering knowledge without question. In addition, the influence of the pre-college academic culture is transferred over to the college in terms of the source of knowledge in the personal epistemological beliefs. Finally, a development of the epistemological beliefs is expected to happen with the experiences of student in programs in the United States.
Implications: Understanding the differences among students’ beliefs about learning aids instructors in developing pedagogies that accommodate those differences in their teaching curricula. Implications on how the existence of cultural differences can help reform the engineering education curriculum and develop engineers with skills necessary to work in diverse groups across different cultures.

AU - Hashim Alyousef
AU - Shane A. Brown P.E.
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Personal Epistemology of Middle Eastern Graduate Students at Oregon State University: Beliefs about Source of Knowledge
UR - https://peer.asee.org/47842
ER -