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The Use of Discriminant Analysis to Investigate the Influence of Non‐Cognitive Factors on Engineering School Persistence
Author(s) -
Burtner Joan
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of engineering education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.896
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 2168-9830
pISSN - 1069-4730
DOI - 10.1002/j.2168-9830.2005.tb00858.x
Subject(s) - salary , persistence (discontinuity) , curriculum , perception , psychology , linear discriminant analysis , engineering education , cognition , mathematics education , engineering , pedagogy , computer science , artificial intelligence , political science , engineering management , geotechnical engineering , neuroscience , law
This study identified post‐enrollment attitudes and perceptions that influence students' decisions to remain in an engineering curriculum. Non‐cognitive factors including expectations and perception of the engineering profession, assessment of personal attributes, and subject‐matter confidence were investigated. Discriminant analysis functions were developed to distinguish among three mutually exclusive groups: those who remained in the engineering school, those who remained at the university in a different school, and those who left the university altogether. Self‐reported confidence in college‐level math/science ability and the belief that an engineering degree enhances career security at a respectable salary were found to be significant predictors of both short‐term and long‐term persistence in engineering.