"An Explorative Structural Equation Modeling of Grades for Engineering & Technology Educational Research"

Structural equation modeling (SEM) has been used to probe the aspects that concern causative hypotheses/elements contained in engineering and technology educational research datasets; and to study the potential causal relationships.The grades in remedial courses (reading, writing and high school math), college math, first physics course and graduation GPA are used as indicators used to define latent variables "English Aptitude" and "Math Aptitude" in SEM.The dataset consists of 167 graduates over ten years in a community college.An initial confirmatory factor analysis model suggests that "English Aptitude" and "Math Aptitude "has a correlation of 17%.A follow up SEM suggests that "English Aptitude" has a 32% loading onto the 'Math Aptitude", which has a 97% manifestation on the graduation GPA.The "English Aptitude" has a 53% manifestation on the remedial zero credit high school math course grades.The SEM results give a quantitative assessment for the remedial program effect on overall graduation GPA in this explorative study.The SEM of evaluative scores/grades in an introductory physics courses (N = 80) is illustrated with a representative model that shows a latent variable "Hands-on Aptitude" having manifestations in kinematics and laboratory grades, and has a 100% loading on another latent variable "Concept Theory Aptitude".Extension to other pre-engineering course grades is discussed briefly.