A systematic literature review of engineering identity: definitions, factors, and interventions affecting development, and means of measurement

ABSTRACT

Studies exploring what it means to be an engineer professionally have been conducted for decades, but have boomed in recent years. This systematic literature review aims to organise extant studies on engineering identity by coding around four key variables: (a) definitions of engineering identity, (b) factors affecting engineering identity development, (c) interventions affecting engineering identity development, and (d) means of measuring identity. In doing so, this review provides strategies for future research and educational interventions to advance work related to engineering identity. Publications were selected for inclusion by screening and appraising results obtained from databases and keywords refined through a scoping study. Derived from key findings, suggestions for future research include bridging disparate strands of engineering identity literature and incorporating more varied methodological approaches. Also from key findings, suggestions for future practice involve better connecting existing definitions of engineering identity and factors known to affect identity development with identity-related interventions.

KEYWORDS:

• Engineering education
• engineering identity
• systematic literature review
• professional identity

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr Lisa McNair for her help guiding the direction of this review, as well as Rebecca Miller and Dr Marie Paretti for their advice during the searching process. Additionally, I would like to thank my graduate advisor, Dr Holly Matusovich, and her research group for their input during the construction of this manuscript. I extend special thanks to Dr Philip Brown for his participation in the inter-coder reliability process.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

John R. Morelock is a doctoral candidate in Engineering Education and NSF Graduate Research Fellow at Virginia Tech. His research interests include student motivation (to learn and to pursue engineering), gameful design of engineering classrooms, game-based learning, engineering identity, and metacognition. He is also working towards an M.S. Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech, and has a B.S. Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech.

ORCID

John R. Morelock http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8043-5060