Faculty Espoused versus Enacted Beliefs on Teamwork in Engineering Education: Results from a National Faculty Survey
- Conference
- Location
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Publication Date
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June 22, 2025
- Start Date
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June 22, 2025
- End Date
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August 15, 2025
- Conference Session
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ERM Technical Session: Faculty Influences on Student Support
- Tagged Division
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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)
- Page Count
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11
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/56563
Paper Authors
Campbell James McColley Cornell University
Dr. Campbell McColley is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Cornell University in the Biomedical Engineering Education Assessment and Research (BEEAR) Group. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Oregon State University, where he investigated microplastics transformations and behavior in aquatic environments. His work focuses on faculty and student perspectives and experiences with teamwork in the classroom. He is also interested in developing and supporting college-industry partnerships in engineering curricula.
Alexandra Werth
Cornell University
orcid.org/0000-0003-0310-2654
Alexandra Werth is an assistant professor at the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, specializing in Engineering Education Research (EER). She focuses on developing evidence-based teaching methodologies to foster authentic learning environments and developing novel educational assessment instruments. Dr. Werth holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Princeton University, where she developed a non-invasive mid-infrared glucose sensor. She later conducted postdoctoral research in physics education at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she helped develop the first large-enrollment introductory physics course-based research experience (CURE).
Abstract
This empirical research, research brief presents initial findings on faculty motivations for incorporating teamwork in engineering coursework, based on a national survey conducted in Summer 2024. Teamwork is a critical aspect of both engineering education and practice, necessitating a deeper contextual understanding of the diverse settings and pedological decisions that inform teamwork related experiences in the classroom. However, despite its importance, specific motivations, objectives, and goals for implementing teamwork have been largely unexplored. Furthermore, faculty motivations for teamwork may not align with teamwork practices enacted in the classroom.
This work involves results of a national faculty survey tool investigating instructor attitudes about learning and teaming in engineering coursework. This survey research a broad sample of respondents (n = 110) with representation across engineering discipline, instructor position/rank, race/ethnicity, gender, institution type, and course type. Our research seeks to connect pedagogical decisions and practices concerning teamwork to specific motivations and learning outcomes. We address the following research questions: 1) What are the diverse motivations engineering faculty have in incorporating teamwork into their classes? 2) How do specific practices and learning objectives link to these espoused beliefs about teamwork to actual classroom practices and experiences?
To answer these, we conduct qualitative analysis of instructors’ open-ended responses in the survey, regarding their motivations for incorporating teamwork. This data is compared to instructors’ closed form motivation responses, mindsets on learning and teaching, and enacted beliefs on teamwork as evidenced by specific teaching practices, learning objectives cited, and submitted syllabi. Future work will identify best practices tied to these specific teamwork motivations and contexts. Our findings aim to elucidate complexities surrounding teamwork in engineering education and support faculty in effectively facilitating teamwork in their classes.
McColley, C. J., & Werth, A. (2025, June), Faculty Espoused versus Enacted Beliefs on Teamwork in Engineering Education: Results from a National Faculty Survey Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/56563
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