The State of Engineering Graduate Student Researcher Self-Awareness

Jasmine Smith; David J. Therriault; Jeremy A. Magruder Waisome

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM) Technical Session 16
Tagged Division: Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48139

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Paper Authors

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Jasmine Smith University of Florida

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Ms. Smith is an engineering education doctoral student at the University of Florida. She received her Bachelors degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Biological Science. She received her Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Florida. Her research interest are focused on self-awareness and its influence on engineering mentoring relationships as well as identifying factors that influence mentoring relationship dynamics in engineering.

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David J. Therriault University of Florida

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Dr. Therriault is an Assoicate Professor in the College of Education at University of Florida. He received his Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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Jeremy A. Magruder Waisome University of Florida orcid.org/0000-0002-8710-2637

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Dr. Jeremy A. Magruder Waisome is an Assistant Professor in the Engineering Education Department at the University of Florida (UF). Her research focuses on self-efficacy and critical mentoring. She is passionate about broadening participation in engineering, leveraging evidence-based approaches to improve the engineering education environment.

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Abstract

Purpose: Self-awareness is an umbrella term that encompasses concepts including self-reflection, introspection, insight, self-regulation, and self-efficacy, among others. These terms are independent of each other but work together to contribute to the overall self-awareness of an individual. For a graduate student researcher, their self-awareness level can influence how they engage with their discipline and research relationships. Interactions within mentoring relationships can be negatively impacted if there is a lack of self-awareness for one or more parties. To increase an individual’s self-awareness, practices in self-reflection may provide opportunities to gain insight, leading to a deeper level of understanding. However, there is limited research in the field of engineering education that considers self-awareness specifically as an aspect of research mentoring relationships. The goal of this study was to assess the current climate of STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) graduate student researchers’ self-awareness using the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale, with emphasis on engineering graduate students. The aspects of self-awareness that were measured include engagement in self-reflection and insight. This preliminary study will inform future work related to self-awareness and its influence on engineering research mentoring relationships. Method: To assess the current state of engineering graduate student researchers’ self-awareness, a mixed-method pilot study was conducted using the two qualitative short-response questions and the validated Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS). The Self-Reflection and Insight Scale measures an individual’s ability to self-reflect and gain insight. Findings from the quantitative analysis STEMM graduate students’ data are presented in this paper. Conclusions: 160 graduate students completed the survey representing 26 departments across four colleges at the University of Florida. Findings suggests that 1) females engage in self-reflection more than males; 2) graduate student mentors in hybrid/wet labs are more insightful than those in dry labs; and 3) Non-engineering graduate student mentors are more insightful than engineering graduate student mentors. Ongoing research, including qualitative interviews to identify the self-reflective practices and influences of engineering graduate student researcher mentors, will uncover existing reflection strategies. Future research will also focus on developing a scale that measures self-awareness-related dimensions within STEMM mentoring relationships.

Citation
Format

Smith, J., & Therriault, D. J., & Waisome, J. A. M. (2024, June), The State of Engineering Graduate Student Researcher Self-Awareness Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48139

TY - CPAPER
AB - Purpose: Self-awareness is an umbrella term that encompasses concepts including self-reflection, introspection, insight, self-regulation, and self-efficacy, among others. These terms are independent of each other but work together to contribute to the overall self-awareness of an individual. For a graduate student researcher, their self-awareness level can influence how they engage with their discipline and research relationships. Interactions within mentoring relationships can be negatively impacted if there is a lack of self-awareness for one or more parties. To increase an individual’s self-awareness, practices in self-reflection may provide opportunities to gain insight, leading to a deeper level of understanding. However, there is limited research in the field of engineering education that considers self-awareness specifically as an aspect of research mentoring relationships. The goal of this study was to assess the current climate of STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) graduate student researchers’ self-awareness using the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale, with emphasis on engineering graduate students. The aspects of self-awareness that were measured include engagement in self-reflection and insight. This preliminary study will inform future work related to self-awareness and its influence on engineering research mentoring relationships.
Method: To assess the current state of engineering graduate student researchers’ self-awareness, a mixed-method pilot study was conducted using the two qualitative short-response questions and the validated Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS). The Self-Reflection and Insight Scale measures an individual’s ability to self-reflect and gain insight. Findings from the quantitative analysis STEMM graduate students’ data are presented in this paper.
Conclusions: 160 graduate students completed the survey representing 26 departments across four colleges at the University of Florida. Findings suggests that 1) females engage in self-reflection more than males; 2) graduate student mentors in hybrid/wet labs are more insightful than those in dry labs; and 3) Non-engineering graduate student mentors are more insightful than engineering graduate student mentors. Ongoing research, including qualitative interviews to identify the self-reflective practices and influences of engineering graduate student researcher mentors, will uncover existing reflection strategies. Future research will also focus on developing a scale that measures self-awareness-related dimensions within STEMM mentoring relationships.

AU - Jasmine Smith
AU - David J. Therriault
AU - Jeremy A. Magruder Waisome
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - The State of Engineering Graduate Student Researcher Self-Awareness
UR - https://peer.asee.org/48139
ER -