Awakening Critical Consciousness in Engineering Education: Interdisciplinary Insights and Strategies for Faculty Development

Jameka Wiggins; Monica Farmer Cox

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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: Faculty Development Division (FDD) Technical Session 1
Tagged Division: Faculty Development Division (FDD)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/46633

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Paper Authors

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Jameka Wiggins The Ohio State University

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Jameka Wiggins is a Ph.D. Candidate in Engineering Education, specializing in Organizational Change in Higher Education and Industry at The Ohio State University. Concurrently, she is pursuing a Master’s in Engineering Management. Jameka's current research explores how engineering faculties’ positionality and lived experiences shape their critical consciousness development. As a scholar and advocate, she seeks to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups in engineering by exploring their experiences, engaging in critical questioning, and offering support. Outside of academic studies, Jameka serves as an ambassador for her department, reviewer for ASEE, and active volunteer for a Columbus STEM non-profit See Brilliance. Jameka has been recognized by her undergraduate institution for her commitment to achieving the vision of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program and most recently by her department for her scholarship as a graduate researcher. Jameka strives to be a well-rounded scholar and exhibit her dedication to people and scholarship.

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Monica Farmer Cox The Ohio State University

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Monica F. Cox, Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at The Ohio State University.

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Abstract

Studies have revealed education has a legacy of white supremacist ideology engrained in the epistemological and ontological perspectives of history throughout post-secondary education. Subsequently, faculty are key players in perpetuating and dismantling white supremacist ideals that persist in education, as they facilitate students’ education, develop pedagogical practices, and create departmental policies and procedures. Exploring methods of raising consciousness and critical awareness can be integral to developing techniques for engineering faculty to assess and reconstruct their professional practices that influence their mindset as well as engineering education reform.

There are several historical and contemporary definitions of critical consciousness with the focus being on how an individual constructs and (re)constructs their reality. Critical consciousness is an advanced educational pedagogy to liberate the masses from systemic inequity maintained and perpetuated by processes, practices, and outcomes of interdependent systems and institutions (Freire, 1970; Jemal, 2017). Critical consciousness is often situated in the context of analyzing oppressive systemic forces using the cyclic process of critical reflection, critical motivation, and critical action. Critical reflection refers to one’s awareness of historical and systemic forces, critical motivation is a sense of self-efficacy to work against these forces, and critical action is engagement in individual or collective action against oppression.

Traditionally critical consciousness development (e.g., consciousness-raising, critical reflection, and engagement in activism) has been explored in racially/ethnically marginalized groups, specifically youth, young adults, and those socioeconomically disadvantaged. Researchers have found that developing the consciousness of these groups can aid in their engagement in action to make social change in their environments as well as realize their ability to be knowledge producers, not just empty vessels.

Literature has shown that methods such as group discussion, co-learning, and reflective questioning can increase critical awareness and continually develop critical consciousness. These methods can be used with faculty to facilitate their critical consciousness development and serve as a foundation for working against oppressive structures in higher education. In the context of engineering education, studies have explored how implementing culturally relevant pedagogy through ill-structured problems, critical thinking, and humanitarian engineering can facilitate student critical consciousness. However, there is a gap in engineering education literature regarding the consciousness development of engineering faculty.

Through an extensive review of existing literature and prior research studies, this theoretical paper conveys how critical consciousness is described and employed across various disciplines (e.g., social science and humanities disciplines). Using research-informed data, this body of work draws connections between these disciplines and the field of engineering to uncover potential applications and strategies for faculty consciousness-raising. This paper serves as a foundation for further exploration into the intersection of critical consciousness and engineering education, shedding light on the transformative potential of this multidisciplinary approach to illustrate the intricate relationship between critical consciousness and its prospective utility within engineering education. A traditional lecture-style format is the preferred method of presentation for this paper.

Citation
Format

Wiggins, J., & Cox, M. F. (2024, June), Awakening Critical Consciousness in Engineering Education: Interdisciplinary Insights and Strategies for Faculty Development Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/46633

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Studies have revealed education has a legacy of white supremacist ideology engrained in the epistemological and ontological perspectives of history throughout post-secondary education. Subsequently, faculty are key players in perpetuating and dismantling white supremacist ideals that persist in education, as they facilitate students’ education, develop pedagogical practices, and create departmental policies and procedures. Exploring methods of raising consciousness and critical awareness can be integral to developing techniques for engineering faculty to assess and reconstruct their professional practices that influence their mindset as well as engineering education reform.

There are several historical and contemporary definitions of critical consciousness with the focus being on how an individual constructs and (re)constructs their reality. Critical consciousness is an advanced educational pedagogy to liberate the masses from systemic inequity maintained and perpetuated by processes, practices, and outcomes of interdependent systems and institutions (Freire, 1970; Jemal, 2017). Critical consciousness is often situated in the context of analyzing oppressive systemic forces using the cyclic process of critical reflection, critical motivation, and critical action. Critical reflection refers to one’s awareness of historical and systemic forces, critical motivation is a sense of self-efficacy to work against these forces, and critical action is engagement in individual or collective action against oppression. 

Traditionally critical consciousness development (e.g., consciousness-raising, critical reflection, and engagement in activism) has been explored in racially/ethnically marginalized groups, specifically youth, young adults, and those socioeconomically disadvantaged. Researchers have found that developing the consciousness of these groups can aid in their engagement in action to make social change in their environments as well as realize their ability to be knowledge producers, not just empty vessels. 

Literature has shown that methods such as group discussion, co-learning, and reflective questioning can increase critical awareness and continually develop critical consciousness. These methods can be used with faculty to facilitate their critical consciousness development and serve as a foundation for working against oppressive structures in higher education. 
In the context of engineering education, studies have explored how implementing culturally relevant pedagogy through ill-structured problems, critical thinking, and humanitarian engineering can facilitate student critical consciousness. However, there is a gap in engineering education literature regarding the consciousness development of engineering faculty.  

Through an extensive review of existing literature and prior research studies, this theoretical paper conveys how critical consciousness is described and employed across various disciplines (e.g., social science and humanities disciplines). Using research-informed data, this body of work draws connections between these disciplines and the field of engineering to uncover potential applications and strategies for faculty consciousness-raising. This paper serves as a foundation for further exploration into the intersection of critical consciousness and engineering education, shedding light on the transformative potential of this multidisciplinary approach to illustrate the intricate relationship between critical consciousness and its prospective utility within engineering education. A traditional lecture-style format is the preferred method of presentation for this paper.

AU  - Jameka Wiggins
AU  - Monica Farmer Cox
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Awakening Critical Consciousness in Engineering Education: Interdisciplinary Insights and Strategies for Faculty Development
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/46633
ER  -