AC 2008-950: WILL I SUCCEED IN ENGINEERING? USING EXPECTANCY-VALUE THEORY IN A LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION OF STUDENTS' BELIEFS

Abstract

Earning an engineering degree is viewed as a challenging undertaking. So what drives engineering students to continue to navigate the difficult path? Many researchers have asked this question as evidenced by an exceptionally large number of literature citations containing the terms “engineer” and “motivation.” Yet, the answer remains uncertain. The expectancy-value framework proposed by Eccles has the potential to enlighten persistence choices.