Entry to Study Expectations of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Postgraduate Taught Students

There is extensive knowledge of learning and teaching behaviour and practice at undergraduate level, but limited, albeit increasing, of postgraduate taught study. The Postgraduate Experience Project (PEP) was one of 20 projects funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England to explore ways of widening participation at postgraduate master's level. It was the largest consortium comprising of 11 universities across the UK (9 English, 1 Scottish and 1 Welsh). PEP assessed STEM postgraduate masters students’ learning and teaching experiences and expectations through an online survey during Induction period (Entry to Study survey). The survey explored students’ experiences of previous learning and teaching methods, their understanding of academic feedback and their preferences, as well as their expectation of learning at postgraduate taught level (PGT). This paper presents different student's experiences and expectations by groups such as gender and mode of study. The findings suggest that a ‘one size fits all’ learning and teaching approach to PGT students is not adequate to support the student experience due to the complexity and multiplicity of postgraduate the student's profile, background, needs and expectations

The employment expectations of Masters Engineering students in the UK

Since the mid-1990s, master's level study has experienced massification in terms of participation in the UK. Although the Higher Education Academy undertakes valuable surveys examining the master's and research postgraduate student experience, they occur near the end of a student's study journey. Up until 2014, there had been limited research undertaken on the expectations of applicants and students entering this level of study. This led to independent bodies such as the Higher Education Commission commenting that 'Postgraduate education is a forgotten part of the sector' [1]. The Postgraduate Experience Project funded by Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) for the first time explored the expectations of applicants and students in, through and out of study and those of employers recruiting master's graduates. This paper will report the key employability findings from this groundbreaking research of PGT applicants and students enrolled in engineering and engineering related disciplines, as well as employers. It will demonstrate how through understanding the perspectives of all stakeholders, employability expectations and future career prospects can be effectively managed and balanced

Widening and sustaining postgraduate taught (PGT) STEM study in the UK: a collaborative project

There has been a dramatic expansion in postgraduate taught study (PGT) in the UK in recent years, but this is now faltering, especially amongst UK domiciled students and those undertaking part-time study. As a result, sustaining the participation required to meet national skill needs as well as the PGT market in the UK has become a pressing challenge. Although there is a growing body of evidence looking at the postgraduate student experience, there is still a paucity of research exploring participation barriers, understanding students' and employers' expectations of PGT study, progression and retention, and post-study outcomes. With the recent changes in the UK higher education landscape, the aim of this multi-institutional and stakeholder project was to provide valuable contributions in understanding, shaping and helping to sustain the PGT sector, at both institutional and national level. This project has addressed many of the neglected research areas mentioned above. This report details the key findings and suggests approaches to how PGT study can be stimulated, sustained, be inclusive and equitable in terms of participants, and meet the skill requirements of business and industry, and considers how institutional and national strategies can be developed in growing and sustaining the PGT market in the UK

Opportunities and barriers faced by early-career civil engineers enacting global responsibility

The term ‘global responsibility’ projects a holistic sense of ethics, sustainability, and obligation. To achieve the long-term viability of human life on Earth, civil engineering must be conducted in increasingly responsible ways, and civil engineers must value and enact global responsibility in their work. Interviews conducted with nine civil engineers in London provide insight regarding engineers’ familiarity with the term, how they learned about it, what opportunities and barriers they face, and what might be done by professional and educational institutions to help them practice more responsibly. Results indicate: the term itself is novel but underlying concepts are not; continuing professional development has played a crucial role in their understanding; material selection and Health & Safety represent primary avenues for contributing responsibly at work. This paper provides advice to professional institutions regarding transparencies, procedures, and metrics to enhance the UK workplace and ideas for educational institutions preparing engineering students for practice

Exploring the Impact of Brexit on UK’S Engineering Education Sector from the Perspective of European Students and Staff

The UK higher education attracts a far higher number of international academics from all over the world, who teach and do research, than any other country in Europe, being only surpassed by Switzerland [1]. Moreover, because engineering itself is considered a global field, this sub-field of higher education also relies on international mobility more than most academic disciplines in the UK The impact of the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum of June 2016, commonly referenced as the Brexit referendum, is still unfolding and under continuing analysis. However, it is widely anticipated that it will disrupt European student and staff mobility and may have negative repercussions for education, research and innovation

Developing growth mindsets in engineering students: a systematic literature review of interventions

Dropout from engineering studies has been linked to ‘fixed mindset’ beliefs of intelligence as fixed-at-birth that make students more likely to disengage when facing new challenges. In contrast, ‘growth mindset’ beliefs that intelligence can be improved with effort make students more likely to persist when confronting difficulties. This systematic literature review of engineering, education and psychology databases explores the effectiveness of different interventions in developing growth mindset in engineering students, what measures have been used in assessing the effectiveness of these interventions and who has benefited from these interventions, in terms of gender and year of study. We compare interventions by geographical location, intervention type, methodology for assessing mindsets, other topics studied, and effectiveness. The results show a variation in effectiveness among the fifteen included studies. The findings will be useful for educators who want to encourage growth mindset and thereby support the academic success of their students

Gender differences in first-year students' expectations towards a new engineering multidisciplinary curriculum

Research on engineering first-year students’ expectations and perceptions is important to understand what influences interest, achievement and persistence. This is particularly relevant when assessing the impact of new engineering education curricula. This paper reports a quantitative analysis of a pre-degree survey targeting students’ expectations at the very beginning of the new Integrated Engineering Programme, which spans across the whole UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences. Of a cohort of approximately 700 enrolled students, 309 completed the survey. Results suggest that, on graduation, both male and female students expect to have similar opportunities, such as to be able to contribute positively to the world. They also share identical learning expectations and educational experiences regarding their time studying engineering. However, results also suggest that female students were more aware of the societal impact of engineering, and less confident in their engineering specific skills

Developing growth mindsets in engineering students: Work-in-progress on a systematic literature review

Engineering programs can be very demanding, particularly in the first years where students often encounter challenging coursework. Dropout from engineering studies has been linked to ‘fixed mindset’ beliefs that make students more likely to give up when facing new challenges. Extensive research evidenced that students with a ‘fixed mindset’ believe that intelligence is an innate and fixed trait. In contrast, students with a ‘growth mindset’ believe that intelligence can be improved with effort and drive, and are then less likely to disengage when confronting difficult tasks. Interventions to develop ‘growth mindsets’ have been successfully implemented at primary and secondary schools. However, there seems to be a paucity of interventions with university students studying engineering. In this work-in-progress paper, we will present findings from a systematic literature review of engineering, education and psychology databases to answer the question, ‘What interventions to develop growth mindsets have been implemented with engineering students, and what measures have been used to assess the effectiveness of the interventions?’ Preliminary findings suggest that the number of interventions aimed at strengthening growth mindsets in engineering students is still small. We present a categorization of interventions together with the measures used to assess the effectiveness of the interventions. The findings will be useful for engineering educators who want to encourage students to have the benefits associated with a growth mindset, such as greater resilience after setbacks and willingness to take on challenges and stick with them when difficulties arise, and support their academic success