Transforming Education Pedagogies to Include Life-Work Balance in Engineering

Erika Judith Rivera; Mohamed Elzomor,; Piyush Pradhananga

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Construction Engineering Division (CONST) Technical Session 4
Tagged Division: Construction Engineering Division (CONST)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44519
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/44519
Download Count: 150

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Paper Authors

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Erika Judith Rivera Florida International University

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Erika Rivera is a Licensed Professional Engineer with a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus and two Master's degrees one in Engineering Management and a Master in Civil Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. She is currently a Ph.D. Student in Florida International University, in Moss School of Construction, Infrastructure, and Sustainability College of Engineering and Computing.

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Mohamed Elzomor, P.E. Florida International University orcid.org/0000-0002-7734-9601

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Dr. Mohamed ElZomor is an Assistant Professor at Florida International University (FIU), College of Engineering and Computing and teaches at the Moss School of Construction, Infrastructure and Sustainability. Dr. ElZomor completed his doctorate at Arizona

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Piyush Pradhananga Florida International University

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Piyush Pradhananga is a Ph.D. Candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Florida International University (FIU). Piyush holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Tribhuwan University (TU). Piyush is currently a Dissertation Year Fellow at FIU where he focuses on multidisciplinary research that harmonizes sustainability in construction. His research interests include Sustainable Construction, Robotics and AI-based Construction, Engineering Education, Sustainable Infrastructure, Resilient and Sustainable Post-Disaster Reconstruction, and Circular Economy. He also holds professional credentials in LEED Green Associate for sustainable buildings and ENV SP for sustainable infrastructures as well as several micro-credentials in the commercialization of research. As a Ph.D. Candidate, Piyush has published a dozen peer-reviewed journals and several conference papers.

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Abstract

In recent years, engineering, architecture, and construction professions have lost much talent to other industries because Millennials and Generation Z tend to misapprehend the expectations related to work-life balance (WLB) in such demanding professions. Construction careers can be highly stressful, with pressures such as achieving tight program deadlines, meeting the needs of multiple stakeholders, dealing with disputes, and enforcing the safety of all individuals on site. To this end, there is a growing need to prepare better our future workforce to succeed in the construction industry. There is a disconnect between the perception/experience provided to students during their academic studies, and as a result, STEM graduates face challenges when managing their personal and professional life. The goals of this study aim to address the students' WLB expectations and professional career challenges by educating them about work-life balance while working as Construction Engineers or Managers in the construction industry. Identifying the gap in pedagogy to better prepare students entering the workforce for the challenges with WLB and provide opportunities for them to thrive as professionals. To achieve these goals, the study utilizes a three-step methodology: (a) conducting industry professionals’ interviews b) conducting surveys of construction management students predominantly in a minority-serving institution to determine how significant work-life balance is when working for an organization; and c) recommending different curricula changes to better prepare recent graduates to thrive and adapt when entering the engineering and construction industry. The study research results indicated that inadequate work-life balance could result in project delays, higher project costs, and a devastating effect on the employees' mental and physical health due to demanding schedules. The findings of the study contribute to the architecture and construction engineering body of knowledge by promoting work-life balance awareness among millennials through providing a pedagogical solution to foster retention and satisfaction within such industries.

Citation
Format

Rivera, E. J., & Elzomor,, M., & Pradhananga, P. (2023, June), Transforming Education Pedagogies to Include Life-Work Balance in Engineering Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44519

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - In recent years, engineering, architecture, and construction professions have lost much talent to other industries because Millennials and Generation Z tend to misapprehend the expectations related to work-life balance (WLB) in such demanding professions. Construction careers can be highly stressful, with pressures such as achieving tight program deadlines, meeting the needs of multiple stakeholders, dealing with disputes, and enforcing the safety of all individuals on site. To this end, there is a growing need to prepare better our future workforce to succeed in the construction industry. There is a disconnect between the perception/experience provided to students during their academic studies, and as a result, STEM graduates face challenges when managing their personal and professional life. The goals of this study aim to address the students&#39; WLB expectations and professional career challenges by educating them about work-life balance while working as Construction Engineers or Managers in the construction industry. Identifying the gap in pedagogy to better prepare students entering the workforce for the challenges with WLB and provide opportunities for them to thrive as professionals. To achieve these goals, the study utilizes a three-step methodology: (a) conducting industry professionals’ interviews b) conducting surveys of construction management students predominantly in a minority-serving institution to determine how significant work-life balance is when working for an organization; and c) recommending different curricula changes to better prepare recent graduates to thrive and adapt when entering the engineering and construction industry. The study research results indicated that inadequate work-life balance could result in project delays, higher project costs, and a devastating effect on the employees&#39; mental and physical health due to demanding schedules. The findings of the study contribute to the architecture and construction engineering body of knowledge by promoting work-life balance awareness among millennials through providing a pedagogical solution to foster retention and satisfaction within such industries. 
AU  - Erika Judith Rivera
AU  - Mohamed Elzomor, P.E.
AU  - Piyush Pradhananga
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Transforming Education Pedagogies to Include Life-Work Balance in Engineering
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/44519
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--44519
ER  -