Moving from Quantitative to Qualitative Analysis to Capture the Development of Self-Directed Learning for a Cohort of Engineering Students

Katherine C. Chen; Jonathan D. Stolk; Roberta J Herter

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Conference: 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Seattle, Washington
Publication Date: June 14, 2015
Start Date: June 14, 2015
End Date: June 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-692-50180-1
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: NSF Grantees’ Poster Session
Tagged Topic: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 15
Page Numbers: 26.1173.1 - 26.1173.15
DOI: 10.18260/p.24510
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/24510
Download Count: 596

Paper Authors

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Katherine C. Chen California Polytechnic State University

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Dr. Katherine C. Chen is Professor and Chair of the Materials Engineering department at the California Polytechnic (Cal Poly) State University, San Luis Obispo. Her degrees in Materials Science are from Michigan State University and MIT. She teaches a wide variety of different engineering courses and her research interests include diversity in STEM, lifelong learning, and informal education.

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Jonathan D. Stolk Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

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Roberta J Herter California Polytechnic State University

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Abstract

Moving from Quantitative to Qualitative Analysis to Capture the Development of Self-‐Directed Learning for a Cohort of Engineering Students In efforts to understand and describe the development of self-‐directed learning (SDL) of engineering students, two universities studied cohorts of students over a two-‐year period using quantitative survey data and qualitative focus groups and reflective writing. This mixed-‐methods study investigates college students’ SDL skills, attitudes, and beliefs over time, beginning with the start of their first year, and continuing throughout their second year and beyond. Quantitative data on SDL competencies were gathered from validated surveys (e.g., AMS, LOGO II, MAI and Learning Inventory) for a cohort of students at a large public university, and the data were compared to another cohort at a small private college. Qualitative data were collected via six focus group sessions with varying student participation over time, as well as from reflective writing exercises administered from a 2nd year engineering course. The qualitative data were coded for indicators of SDL, such as reflective capacity, help seeking, self-‐assessment of performance and resilience. While some significant differences in the quantitative survey data were measured between the two institutions, the resulting data showed surprisingly small changes in SDL competencies over the two years. Analysis of qualitative student response data, however, revealed several interesting, new aspects to self-‐directed learner growth, and led to a richer picture of the complexity involved with student SDL development. Qualitative investigation was then extended into the third year of the cohort. Specifically, the qualitative analysis revealed a complicated interplay of student perceptions of grades, open-‐ended problems, uncertainty around failure, instructor role, career goals, and professional identity. Students lamented the way that open-‐ended work offered opportunities for professional growth but did not always positively impact their grades. Others reported tensions stemming from the need to maintain appropriate grade point averages (GPAs) and their own desires to shift from grade orientation to learning orientation. The group showed varied perceptions about the role of the instructor to their growth as lifelong learners and valued those professors who exhibited industry experience. The focus groups also display the dynamics of students reflecting with one another and forming their own individual academic and professional identities. Some articulated that the opportunity for the focus group afforded them a chance for growth in metacognitive capacity. The study attempts to illustrate how student goals, priorities, and identities as developing college engineering students connect with aspects of curriculum, instructor pedagogy, and institutional culture and constraints. By addressing students’ relationships to curriculum, instructor and learning culture, the study offers valuable insights for those designing engineer programs and to individual instructors interested in developing the self-‐directed learning capacities of their students.

Citation
Format

Chen, K. C., & Stolk, J. D., & Herter, R. J. (2015, June), Moving from Quantitative to Qualitative Analysis to Capture the Development of Self-Directed Learning for a Cohort of Engineering Students Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/p.24510

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Moving  from  Quantitative  to  Qualitative  Analysis  to  Capture  the  Development  of  Self-‐Directed  Learning  for  a  Cohort  of  Engineering  Students    In  efforts  to  understand  and  describe  the  development  of  self-‐directed  learning  (SDL)  of  engineering  students,  two  universities  studied  cohorts  of  students  over  a  two-‐year  period  using  quantitative  survey  data  and  qualitative  focus  groups  and  reflective  writing.  This  mixed-‐methods  study  investigates  college  students’  SDL  skills,  attitudes,  and  beliefs  over  time,  beginning  with  the  start  of  their  first  year,  and  continuing  throughout  their  second  year  and  beyond.    Quantitative  data  on  SDL  competencies  were  gathered  from  validated  surveys  (e.g.,  AMS,  LOGO  II,  MAI  and  Learning  Inventory)  for  a  cohort  of  students  at  a  large  public  university,  and  the  data  were  compared  to  another  cohort  at  a  small  private  college.  Qualitative  data  were  collected  via  six  focus  group  sessions  with  varying  student  participation  over  time,  as  well  as  from  reflective  writing  exercises  administered  from  a  2nd  year  engineering  course.  The  qualitative  data  were  coded  for  indicators  of  SDL,  such  as  reflective  capacity,  help  seeking,  self-‐assessment  of  performance  and  resilience.        While  some  significant  differences  in  the  quantitative  survey  data  were  measured  between  the  two  institutions,  the  resulting  data  showed  surprisingly  small  changes  in  SDL  competencies  over  the  two  years.    Analysis  of  qualitative  student  response  data,  however,  revealed  several  interesting,  new  aspects  to  self-‐directed  learner  growth,  and  led  to  a  richer  picture  of  the  complexity  involved  with  student  SDL  development.    Qualitative  investigation  was  then  extended  into  the  third  year  of  the  cohort.    Specifically,  the  qualitative  analysis  revealed  a  complicated  interplay  of  student  perceptions  of  grades,  open-‐ended  problems,  uncertainty  around  failure,  instructor  role,  career  goals,  and  professional  identity.  Students  lamented  the  way  that  open-‐ended  work  offered  opportunities  for  professional  growth  but  did  not  always  positively  impact  their  grades.  Others  reported  tensions  stemming  from  the  need  to  maintain  appropriate  grade  point  averages  (GPAs)  and  their  own  desires  to  shift  from  grade  orientation  to  learning  orientation.  The  group  showed  varied  perceptions  about  the  role  of  the  instructor  to  their  growth  as  lifelong  learners  and  valued  those  professors  who  exhibited  industry  experience.  The  focus  groups  also  display  the  dynamics  of  students  reflecting  with  one  another  and  forming  their  own  individual  academic  and  professional  identities.  Some  articulated  that  the  opportunity  for  the  focus  group  afforded  them  a  chance  for  growth  in  metacognitive  capacity.    The  study  attempts  to  illustrate  how  student  goals,  priorities,  and  identities  as  developing  college  engineering  students  connect  with  aspects  of  curriculum,  instructor  pedagogy,  and  institutional  culture  and  constraints.    By  addressing  students’  relationships  to  curriculum,  instructor  and  learning  culture,  the  study  offers  valuable  insights  for  those  designing  engineer  programs  and  to  individual  instructors  interested  in  developing  the  self-‐directed  learning  capacities  of  their  students.    
AU  - Katherine C. Chen
AU  - Jonathan D. Stolk
AU  - Roberta J Herter
CY  - Seattle, Washington
DA  - 2015/06/14
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Moving from Quantitative to Qualitative Analysis to Capture the Development of Self-Directed Learning for a Cohort of Engineering Students
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/24510
DO  - 10.18260/p.24510
ER  -