Longitudinal Study of Entering Students with Engineering as Their Major: Retention and Academic Success

This paper presents the results of a longitudinal study assessing the role of math readiness and personality factors in retaining undergraduate students in an engineering program. Participants are freshmen enrolled in an entry level engineering course who were asked to complete a set of surveys that included affective and meta cognitive measures. They were then followed throughout their academic career through graduation, major change, or leaving the university. These students were also administered a calculus readiness test (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces -ALEKS) as part of their entry into engineering. While not all students have completed their degree at this time, our study assesses the status of these students as they have progressed through their academic career. The paper explores the hypothesis that engineering retention is related not only to basic aptitude but also affective factors. In the study, aptitude was measured by SAT Verbal and Math scores, high school GPA, and the ALEKS assessment of calculus readiness. Affective factors were assessed by the NEO Five Factor Inventory and the Nowicki–Duke Locus of Control scale. Binary logistic regression was employed to determine if these measures are predictive of retention during the course of these students’ academic career. The study found that the most significant aptitude predictors of retention are SAT math and the ALEKs calculus readiness score while conscientiousness is the most important of the affective factors.