Research: D eveloping E ngineering E xperiences and P athways in Engineering Technology Career Formation (D.E.E.P. Engineering Technology Career Formation)

在大多数关于美国工程技术劳动力未来的讨论中，工程技术教育在支持国家技术基础设施和创新能力方面的作用一直是缺失的。根据美国教育部的数据，2014年，超过一半（53%）的工程相关证书是证书、两年制学位或工程技术，但人们对这一领域和这些工人所扮演的角色知之甚少。本研究项目的目的是为了更好地了解两年制大学培养的工程技术人员和技术人员的职业认同、制度文化和形成。了解工程技术教育在支持国家技术基础设施和创新能力方面所发挥的作用，对于工程学者寻求提高未来工程师的职业生涯至关重要。这项研究代表了克莱姆森大学、阿肯色大学和三县技术学院之间的多机构合作研究。这种加深的理解将为塑造有针对性的教育计划、职业咨询、专业发展、支持工程技术学生的新政策和战略、促进职业指导和提高专业满意度提供见解。本研究的主要目的有三个：(1)利用沙因职业锚量表（Schein's career Anchor Inventory）对工程技术专业学生、转校生和职业生涯早期的工程技术专业学生进行调查，确定职业准备不同阶段的职业取向维度，并绘制工程技术职业路径图；(2)建立一个实证框架，结合个人职业锚点和制度文化的影响，以理解休斯价值观框架下的工程技术专业形成；(3)开发和试点旨在改变工程技术背景下的工程形成系统的干预措施。本研究将采用混合方法的研究设计，侧重于数据的描述性和相关性分析。三个整合的理论框架：社会认知职业理论、沙因职业锚量表（对工程技术学生和专业人员进行在线调查）和休斯组织竞争优势价值创造模型（对学生、专业人员和工程技术机构/组织进行开放式访谈）将被整合。多种理论的使用提供了一个基于证据的框架，建立了新的跨学科视角和理解，重点是描述和比较工程技术途径以及对职业身份和文化的理解。本研究的结果有望解决并提高人们对工程技术和两年制大学工程教育研究中存在的差距的认识，这将影响正式和非正式环境中的教学，揭示新的途径和关键的过渡点，并影响工程教育和人力资源开发领域的职业准备和培训。本研究的其他好处包括促进研究人员和实践者与政策制定者和公众就工程技术课程中职业发展和制度文化影响的结果和挑战进行互动。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Absent from most discussions of the future of the U.S. engineering technical workforce, has been the role of engineering technology education in supporting the nation's technical infrastructure and capacity for innovation. According to the Department of Education, in 2014 over half of engineering related credentials (53%) awarded are in certificate, two-year degrees, or engineering technology, yet there is little understanding of this field and role that these workers play. The purpose of this research project is to develop a greater understanding of the professional identity, institutional culture, and formation of engineering technicians and technologists prepared at two-year colleges. Understanding the role engineering technology education plays and can play in supporting the nation's technical infrastructure and capacity for innovation is essential as engineering scholars seek to enhance the careers of future engineers. This study represents a multi-institutional research partnership between Clemson University, the University of Arkansas, and Tri-County Technical College. This increased understanding will provide insights into shaping targeted educational programs, career counseling, professional development, new policies and strategies to support engineering technology students, promote career guidance, and increase professional satisfaction. There are three primary objectives of this study: (1) Identify dimensions of career orientations at various stages of professional preparation and map to engineering technology career pathways by surveying engineering technology students, transfer students, and early career engineering technology professionals using Schein's Career Anchor Inventory; (2) Develop an empirical framework, incorporating individual career anchors and the effect of institutional culture, for understanding engineering technology professional formation informed by the Hughes Values Framework; and (3) Develop and pilot interventions aimed at transforming engineering formation systems in engineering technology contexts. This study will utilize a mixed methods research design focusing on both descriptive and correlational analyses of data. Three integrated theoretical frameworks, Social Cognitive Career Theory, Schein's Career Anchor Inventory (online surveys of engineering technology students and professionals), and the Hughes Value Creation Model for Organizational Competitive Advantage (open-ended interviews with students, professionals, and engineering technology institutions/organizations) will be integrated. The use of multiple theories provides an evidence-based framework building new interdisciplinary perspectives and understanding focused on describing and comparing engineering technology pathways and understandings of professional identity and culture. The outcomes of this research study are expected to address and bring awareness to an existing gap in engineering technology and two-year college engineering education research which will impact teaching and learning in both formal and informal settings, reveal new pathways and critical transition points, and impact career preparation and training in the engineering education and human resource development fields. Additional benefits of this study include catalyzing interaction of researchers and practitioners with policy-makers and the public on outcomes and challenges related to career development and institutional cultural impact in engineering technology curriculum.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.