A Multiple Mixed-Method Analysis on Empathy in First Year Engineering Education

This multiple mixed method analysis focuses on exploring how teaching empathy to first year engineering students interacts with their engineering identity and their personal definition of the role of an engineer. The participants received a four-lesson series on empathy and engineering in the Fall of 2023. They completed a pre- and post-survey as well as wrote five written reflections over the course of this semester. Analysis of the survey results found that composite empathy and engineering identity scores increased significantly over the course of this semester and that the increase in female composite engineering identity scores was significantly larger than that of males. Through structural equation modeling, it was found that empathy relates directly to their engineering identity, and this model was stable over the course of the semester. Additionally, within identity, the participants’ recognition composite score was lower than performance competence and interest in engineering, and emotional regulation and perspective taking were the weakest components of empathy. Through a thematic analysis of students' reflections over the course of the semester, it was found that many students' definitions of the role of an engineer broadened, and they showed interest in the empathy material but did not reflect on feeling recognized as engineers at any point in the lesson series. In alignment with the survey results, there was little reflection on the emotional regulation skill. Participants indicated that they learned many other skills alongside those in the empathy engineering framework, including conversation tools and ways to build collaboration in their professional roles. Lastly, through a multi-case study analysis, it was found in four of the six cases that the empathy lessons played a role in expanding their definition of an engineer. The cases showed interest in the material, but again, it was not strongly tied to their experience of being recognized as engineers. The following lesson improvements were repeatedly highlighted: add more framing around the purpose to encourage students to take it more seriously, use scenarios more relevant to student groups, ensure all students get to play the role of an engineer and allow engineers to report out their solutions to potentially increase feelings of recognition.