Engineering and Physics Faculty Research and Publications

Document Type

Book

Publication Title

International Handbook of Engineering Education Research

Publication Date

2023

First Page

183

Last Page

198

Abstract

Existing research has used identity as a theoretical construct to help us understand a wide array of phenomena, such as engagement and persistence in engineering. By understanding the personal, social, and sociocultural forces that operate in the developmental processes of an individual, we understand how they come to make sense of who they are. Further, we come to learn how they position themselves in relation to what it means to be an engineer. However, identity research in engineering education has supported a diffuse set of theoretical perspectives that do not organically coalesce. This chapter advances an integrated conceptualization of engineering identity, not by simplifying the complexity of this theoretical construct, but rather by locating engineering identity research within three foundational frameworks. The chapter consists of an extensive review and differentiates studies based on core theoretical foundations of engineering identity as a construct that is (1) personal, (2) social, or (3) sociocultural, examining the utility of these different theoretical positions in relation to potential knowledge claims or insights that identity research might advance. Finally, the authors advocate strategies for the field of engineering education research to advance theory on identity by (1) demonstrating awareness of theoretical perspectives of identity, (2) increasing the practical motivations to study identity beyond supporting students in achieving a positive engineering identity, and (3) developing identity research in a manner that cohesively develops theory.

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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