Author: Thomas    Leighton

Major: Electrical Engineering

Graduation Year: 2017

Thesis Advisor: Mauricio Pereira de Cunha

Description of Publication: This study investigates upper-class electrical and computer engineering students’ motivation and how students identify with their major. In addition, it also explores how student chosen research, projects, and learning impact the levels of motivation in students and how students identify with their major. Three different surveys were used over the course of the spring semester of 2017 at the University of Maine for this study: the Pittsburgh Freshman Engineering Aptitude Survey, the Project Ownership Survey, and the 2017 Electrical and Computer Engineering Survey. Participants for this study were junior and senior electrical and computer engineers, and students enrolled in ECE 466: Sensor Technology and Information. This study found that students exposed to research prior to the selection of a project, experienced increased levels of ownership and motivation for projects. Secondly, this study found that students experienced lower levels of motivation near the end of the semester when compared to the beginning.

Location of Publication:

• fogler
• reynolds

URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/437