Examining Industrial Engineering Students’ Perceptions of Course Skills and Knowledge and Alignment with Their Interests

Representations of engineering work in the curriculum influence students’ perceptions of valued skills and knowledge in the field. Industrial engineering attracts a diverse group of students and is well positioned to incorporate longstanding calls for comprehensive skills because of its systems-level approach to problem-solving. Examining students’ perceptions of the curriculum of industrial engineering can elucidate how the curriculum shapes diverse students’ understandings of engineering practice and their decisions to persist or leave. Using Holland’s framework of figured worlds, we examined the role of the core industrial engineering curriculum at a Midwestern university (MU) in the United States (U.S.) in shaping undergraduate students’ perceptions of valued skills and knowledge and sense of fit in engineering. Findings from a series of two interviews with 15 upper and lower division industrial engineering students indicate that students perceived the core curriculum at MU to minimally emphasize comprehensive skills, reinforcing a purely technical view of engineering. Further, students expressed a desire for course content that emphasized application of theoretical concepts and social and cultural context and impact. Findings indicate a continuing need for curricular reform incorporating comprehensive skills to engage students, align coursework with real-world engineering practice, and shape the perception of engineering work as inherently sociotechnical.