Creating Theoretical Insights in Engineering Education

In the last five years, the engineering education community has made remarkable progress towards institutionalization as a field of scholarship. From a community of interest formed by people concerned with improving engineering pedagogy, the field has matured into a research-based discipline with great vigor (Streveler and Smith, 2006). While this research-driven focus is welcome progress, one can detect a growing sense of unease and confusion on the matter of theory. Many stakeholders in the field see a dearth of theory-informed research and practice as a grave concern and remind us that theoretical development is paramount for the advancement of the field (Kemnitzer, 2008). On the other hand, several scholars contend that undue emphasis on theory undercuts the pragmatism of education and can hinder a smooth exchange of research outcomes. This ambiguity around the nature and role of theory creates a situation where theory often becomes an artificial gesture to get research published rather than a legitimate foundation and goal of scholarship. Engineering education, by necessity, is an interdisciplinary endeavor and scholars in the field bring a notion of theory they were exposed to during their disciplinary training. Often engineering educators are trained in the physical and engineering sciences and have a largely positivist understanding of the world. Meanwhile, scholars trained in the social sciences might be exposed to the positivist tradition but often practice an interpretive approach. This epistemological and ontological gulf is reflected in diverse views about the nature and role of theory in the field, particularly the idea that theorizing is orthogonal to practice (also see Borrego, 2007). This gulf, however, is largely an academic creation that can be bridged. Other applied fields have grappled with similar issues but have been quite successful at building theory-informed research agendas with meaningful potential for application (Academy of Management Review, 1989; Administrative Science Quarterly, 1995; Fiske, 2004). I believe that engineering education can similarly achieve constructive dialogue on the nature and role of theory, and more importantly can create theoretical insights with practical implementation in the classroom.