Motivations of Students in a Thermodynamics Course
- Conference
- Location
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Marietta, Georgia
- Publication Date
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March 10, 2024
- Start Date
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March 10, 2024
- End Date
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March 12, 2024
- Page Count
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7
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--45546
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/45546
- Download Count
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21
Paper Authors
Nancy J. Moore PhD North Carolina State University
The author is a Teaching Associate Professor at North Carolina State University in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. She teaches undergraduate courses in the thermal-fluid sciences. She is the course coordinator for Thermodynamics I and has taught the course in the traditional lecture and flipped formats.
Aaron Smith Mississippi State University
Aaron Smith is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Mississippi State University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Mississippi State University in 2012. Prior to teaching, he spent 3 years working as a senior engineer in research and development in the aerospace industry. He has research interest is in the areas of energy system modeling and enhancing conceptual understanding in engineering education.
Abstract
Students have different motivations when it comes to being successful in college. Some are driven by their own curiosity and interest in the topics they are studying. Others are driven by their need to earn high grades or their fear of falling short of expectations. Motivated students tend to be more successful in college, so it is important that those motivations are understood. With more knowledge of their students’ motivations, professors can be more effective in the classroom.
The current study analyzes the data from an anonymous survey given to students enrolled in Thermodynamics in the fall semester at two public universities, Mississippi State University and North Carolina State University. Using a Likert scale, students indicated their level of agreement to statements about thermodynamics and engineering in general. The collected surveys provide insight into student opinions about their desire to learn, their ability to deal with uncertainty, and their capacity for overcoming obstacles. Generally, the strongest agreement was for third-person statements about the work of an engineer and the weakest agreement was for first-person statements about personal experiences.
Moore, N. J., & Smith, A. (2024, March), Motivations of Students in a Thermodynamics Course Paper presented at 2024 South East Section Meeting, Marietta, Georgia. 10.18260/1-2--45546
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