How Do Engineering Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Define Engineering Thriving? An Investigation of Key Themes

In this work-in-progress research paper, we explore key themes and patterns prevalent in definitions of thriving for undergraduate engineering students. Although there is growing research and acknowledgment of the breadth and complexity of thriving in engineering, the field has limited conceptual clarity regarding its range of definitions. Data for this research was collected from 47 engineering faculty and staff who are considered long-term members of the engineering education system who also play a vital role in creating environments conducive to thriving and forming relationships with students that facilitate thriving. Participants were asked to define engineering student thriving in an open-ended survey, where their responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. 29 codes emerged from the data, 18 of which align with prior research. 10 new codes emerged, relating to positive emotions (such as happy, excited, and passionate), learning (love of learning, growing, understanding and deep learning), wellbeing, identity, belongingness, and professional experiences. These findings highlight positive aspects of engineering thriving beyond the absence or reduction of suffering and hardship. Implications of these findings include developing measures with multi-dimensional focus and emphasizing the role of emotional support and identity development in engineering students.