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Abstract
CONTEXT
Empathy involves understanding and feeling the emotions of others. Empathy has been found to be important for engineering practice. However, empathy has not traditionally been explicitly taught in engineering. Recently, researchers in the USA have started to teach empathy in coursework.
Although work integrated learning is recognised as an opportunity to develop professional skills, the development of empathy in work integrated learning had not yet been investigated. In Australia, twelve weeks of engineering-related work experience has long been recommended by Engineers Australia as ideal, and has been required of students for graduation by many universities. Work experience gives students engagement with engineering practice and interactions with more diverse people than during coursework on campus. Therefore, work experience held promise as a curriculum element in which empathy development could be supported.
PURPOSE
This study tested the hypothesis that engineering students who have completed at least 450 hours (equivalent to 12 weeks) of engineering-related work experience have higher empathic tendencies than other students.
METHOD
Engineering students (N = 252) in three units at a research intensive university in Australia measured their empathic tendencies on the four subscales of an adapted Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Linear statistical models were fitted to each subscale.
RESULTS
Students who had completed more than 449 hours of work experience and were probably or definitely pursuing an engineering career had significantly higher perspective taking tendencies on average at the 5% level.
CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to test the hypothesis that engineering-related work experience is associated with improved empathy. The result is consistent with a positive association between engineering-related work experience and tendency to spontaneously take the emotional perspective of another. We recommend further investigation of causation, explanation, assessment and how to improve development of empathy through work integrated learning.
Empathy involves understanding and feeling the emotions of others. Empathy has been found to be important for engineering practice. However, empathy has not traditionally been explicitly taught in engineering. Recently, researchers in the USA have started to teach empathy in coursework.
Although work integrated learning is recognised as an opportunity to develop professional skills, the development of empathy in work integrated learning had not yet been investigated. In Australia, twelve weeks of engineering-related work experience has long been recommended by Engineers Australia as ideal, and has been required of students for graduation by many universities. Work experience gives students engagement with engineering practice and interactions with more diverse people than during coursework on campus. Therefore, work experience held promise as a curriculum element in which empathy development could be supported.
PURPOSE
This study tested the hypothesis that engineering students who have completed at least 450 hours (equivalent to 12 weeks) of engineering-related work experience have higher empathic tendencies than other students.
METHOD
Engineering students (N = 252) in three units at a research intensive university in Australia measured their empathic tendencies on the four subscales of an adapted Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Linear statistical models were fitted to each subscale.
RESULTS
Students who had completed more than 449 hours of work experience and were probably or definitely pursuing an engineering career had significantly higher perspective taking tendencies on average at the 5% level.
CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to test the hypothesis that engineering-related work experience is associated with improved empathy. The result is consistent with a positive association between engineering-related work experience and tendency to spontaneously take the emotional perspective of another. We recommend further investigation of causation, explanation, assessment and how to improve development of empathy through work integrated learning.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings Australasian Association for Engineering Education Virtual Conference 2020 |
| Publisher | Australasian Association for Engineering Education |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Publication status | Published - 2020 |
| Event | Australasian Association for Engineering Education Virtual Conference 2020: Disrupting Business as Usual in Engineering Education - University of Sydney and University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia Duration: 6 Dec 2020 → 9 Dec 2020 Conference number: 31st https://www.aaee2020.com.au/ |
Conference
| Conference | Australasian Association for Engineering Education Virtual Conference 2020 |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | AAEE2020 |
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| City | Sydney |
| Period | 6/12/20 → 9/12/20 |
| Internet address |
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Dive into the research topics of 'Work Integrated Learning and Empathy among Engineering Students'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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Virtual work integrated learning for engineering students
Male, S., Bennamoun, M., Trevelyan, J., Boussaid, F., Cameron, I., Maynard, N., Tade, M., Sohel, F., Garrett, M., Pointing, D. & Hargreaves, D.
Office for Learning & Teaching
1/01/16 → 31/12/19
Project: Research