Engineering competence? An interpretive investigation of engineering students' professional formation

dc.contributor.author	Walther, J	en
dc.contributor.author	Kellam, N	en
dc.contributor.author	Sochacka, N	en
dc.contributor.author	Radcliffe, D	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-06-06T06:50:56Z
dc.date.available	2014-06-06T06:50:56Z
dc.date.issued	2011	en
dc.identifier.issn	10694730	en
dc.identifier.uri	http://62.217.125.90/xmlui/handle/123456789/5229
dc.relation.uri	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-80051901083&partnerID=40&md5=e436f95999d6c4dcf585d112c31bb336	en
dc.subject	Accidental Competencies	en
dc.subject	Interpretive research	en
dc.subject	Professional formation	en
dc.subject.other	Accidental Competencies	en
dc.subject.other	Coding structures	en
dc.subject.other	Complex learning	en
dc.subject.other	Complex nature	en
dc.subject.other	Context dependent	en
dc.subject.other	Educational context	en
dc.subject.other	Empirical investigation	en
dc.subject.other	Engineering competences	en
dc.subject.other	Focus groups	en
dc.subject.other	Forms of representation	en
dc.subject.other	Grounded theory approach	en
dc.subject.other	Innovative curricula	en
dc.subject.other	Interpretive research	en
dc.subject.other	Learning Activity	en
dc.subject.other	Learning outcome	en
dc.subject.other	Learning process	en
dc.subject.other	Professional engineer	en
dc.subject.other	Professional formation	en
dc.subject.other	Professional practices	en
dc.subject.other	Research questions	en
dc.subject.other	Social context	en
dc.subject.other	Social learning	en
dc.subject.other	Teaching practices	en
dc.subject.other	Curricula	en
dc.subject.other	Education computing	en
dc.subject.other	Investments	en
dc.subject.other	Learning systems	en
dc.subject.other	Professional aspects	en
dc.subject.other	Students	en
dc.subject.other	Engineering education	en
dc.title	Engineering competence? An interpretive investigation of engineering students' professional formation	en
heal.type	journalArticle	en
heal.publicationDate	2011	en
heal.abstract	Background: There is growing evidence that engineering students' professional formation is shaped by the interplay of explicit learning activities and various influences from the wider educational context. The unintended outcomes of these processes, or Accidental Competencies, formed the lens for an empirical investigation of this social learning system. Purpose (Hypothesis): The exploratory inquiry addressed the following research questions. What are influences that contribute to engineering students' professional formation? How does it occur and what are resulting competencies and incompetencies Design/Method: Data was collected internationally in focus groups with 67 students in their transition from university into professional practice. The students' accounts were analyzed qualitatively using the software NVivo7. From the iterative analysis based on a grounded theory approach, categories and subordinate clusters of influences, mechanisms, and outcomes emerged. Results: The following three forms of representation provide an authentic view of the social learning system under investigation: (i) a contextual model of competency formation illustrates the complex nature of the learning processes; (ii) an overview of the coding structure presents seven competence clusters (Flexibility, Interaction, Plan, Professional Realities, Self, Social Context and Technical); and (iii) thick descriptions from the students' accounts trace three characteristics of the complex learning processes (compound influences, ambiguity of outcomes, context-dependent nature of learning outcomes). Conclusion: Engineering education is a complex system where a range of influences outside the realm of explicit instruction contribute to the development of students as professional engineers. This study provides an evidence-based framework to consider this complexity in reflective teaching practice and innovative curriculum design. © 2011 ASEE.	en
heal.journalName	Journal of Engineering Education	en
dc.identifier.issue	4	en
dc.identifier.volume	100	en
dc.identifier.spage	703	en
dc.identifier.epage	740	en