Use of the critical incident technique for qualitative research in engineering education

The critical incident technique is a well-established qualitative research method that is useful in exploring significant experiences in order to better understand resulting behavior. The critical incident technique is emerging as a tool for research and for building theories in engineering education. 1, 2 This paper describes the initial state of a grounded theory study. The purpose of the larger study is to develop a theory that relates how students perceive the role of their family in making engineering-related academic decisions. The population under study is first generation college students. Specifically, this paper describes the development of an interview protocol based on the critical incident technique and demonstrates its usage in drawing out thick, rich descriptions which help increase the trustworthiness of qualitative research. Initial interview data are presented to highlight our usage of the critical incident technique to elicit specific information about how participants experienced various critical family interactions that influenced academic decisions about engineering. This paper contributes to the engineering education body of literature by illustrating the critical incident technique and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the approach for other researchers who may seek to employ the critical incident technique for their own work.