Content and Cohorts in Engineering Education: Leveraging Self-Determination Theory in Authentic Learning Experiences for Undergraduates

Motivation and retention in engineering education are critical elements of a national strategy for many reasons, and thus merit exploration in traditional venues as well as extracurricular settings. We use Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to understand students’ motivation in an authentic undergraduate learning experience geared toward retention in the semiconductor industry, an example of an industry of national importance around the world. Twelve students participated in two cohorts of training in cleanroom techniques and equipment. We conducted semi-structured interviews with participants to probe their perceptions of authenticity, motivation, and engagement in the program. We used thematic analysis to identify emergent themes from interview transcripts and deductively coded for concepts of interest. Participants’ perceptions of authenticity often reconstructed the dimensions of the designed authentic learning experience. Students linked their perceptions of authenticity directly to the SDT constructs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Interestingly, students reported a salience for relatedness in authentic experiences, generated principally through cohort instruction. In the connections between students’ perceptions of authentic learning experiences and motivational drivers, relatedness, an often-overlooked factor in engineering curricula, emerged as particularly relevant to enhance student motivation.