Understanding the Socializer Influence on Engineering Students’ Career Planning
Abstract
This research paper describes how engineering juniors and seniors perceive the influence of socializers on their post-graduation career planning. Grounded in Expectancy x Value Theory (EVT), this qualitative investigation is part of a sequential mixed-methods study that included two survey phases and an interview phase. An exploratory analysis of 72 interview excerpts revealed four dominant socializer groups, namely, family, peers, university related individuals, and work related individuals, as well as three distinct areas of socializer influence: thinking about specific jobs, job exploration in general, and choosing whether to pursue further education. A closer look showed that while parents, peers, professors, and supervisors were all important to students’ career plans, the type of influence each had tended to differ. In-depth examples of socializer influence and their impact on students’ job related decisions are shared in this paper. The results are insightful for researchers, university and industry stakeholders, and students.
Rohini Abhyankar is a second year graduate student at Arizona State University’s Engineering Education Systems and Design doctoral program. Rohini has a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Physics from University of Delhi, India. Rohini has over ten years each of industry and teaching experience.
Cheryl Carrico is owner of E4S, LLC. E4S, LLC conducts external evaluations, engineering education research, and industry consulting. Her current research focus relates to STEM career pathways and conceptual understanding of core engineering principles. She volunteers on several boards and is president of the Appalachian Council for Innovation. Her evaluation & assessment work includes grants, workshops, and others for a variety of disciplines (>$10M in value). She has worked with over 60 small to mid size businesses to help them grow organically and commercialize products. She has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Masters in Engineering and Business Administration, and a Ph. D. in Engineering Education.
Dr. Holly Matusovich is the Associate Dean for Graduate and Professional Studies in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech and a Professor in the Department of Engineering Education where she has also served in key leadership positions. Dr. Matusovich is recognized for her research and leadership related to graduate student mentoring and faculty development. She won the Hokie Supervisor Spotlight Award in 2014, received the College of Engineering Graduate Student Mentor Award in 2018, and was inducted into the Virginia Tech Academy of Faculty Leadership in 2020. Dr. Matusovich has been a PI/Co-PI on 19 funded research projects including the NSF CAREER Award, with her share of funding being nearly $3 million. She has co-authored 2 book chapters, 34 journal publications, and more than 80 conference papers. She is recognized for her research and teaching, including Dean’s Awards for Outstanding New Faculty, Outstanding Teacher Award, and a Faculty Fellow. Dr. Matusovich has served the Educational Research and Methods (ERM) division of ASEE in many capacities over the past 10+ years including serving as Chair from 2017-2019. Dr. Matusovich is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Advances in Engineering Education and she serves on the ASEE committee for Scholarly Publications.
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8607-5959
Arizona State University
[biography]
Samantha Brunhaver is an Assistant Professor of Engineering in the Fulton Schools of Engineering Polytechnic School. Dr. Brunhaver recently joined Arizona State after completing her M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. She also
Are you a researcher? Would you like to cite this paper? Visit the ASEE document repository at peer.asee.org for more tools and easy citations.