Modeling Engineering Student Success Needs

Abstract

Much research has sought to understand student success and capture this knowledge in terms of underlying theory. Prior work has provided an accounting of the factors that explain why students decide to leave and, to some extent, why students persist on to graduation. In spite of research, there continues to be a gap between theory and practice. Many times, theoretical findings have not translated well into programs and actions that have significantly improved student success outcomes. This research shifts the focus from trying to understand why students leave or stay in college to understanding the needs of students as the basis for improving student success outcomes.A statistically verified model of engineering student success needs is developed. Emphasis in this model is placed on post-entry variables that provide insight into those factors and educational processes that institutional leaders can directly impact. An eight step questionnaire development and validation process is presented for a new instrument---the Engineering Student Needs Questionnaire (ESNQ)---to measure the model variables. Since institutions vary considerably in their size, culture, and student demographics, the model provides insight into the dimensions that institutional decision-makers can target to meet the unique needs of their engineering students. A case example is presented to apply the ESNQ.