Thevenin, M K and Elliott, J W (2018) The role of supportive others in academic decisions; differences in construction management students by gender. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 14(4), pp. 257-276. ISSN 1557-8771
Abstract
This study examines the influence of supportive others on male and female undergraduate construction management (CM) students’ academic decisions. Specifically, we measured perceived levels of influence by inspiration/modeling (IM) and support/guidance (SG) and compared these with construction education domain-level self-efficacy (CESE) and motivation (CEM) to pursue CM education. Students (n = 587) in CM programs at three Midwest universities participated in this quantitative study. Results showed that students who report higher IM and SG have significantly (p <.001) higher CESE and CEM toward construction education and vice versa. Students with a mentor or role model working in the construction industry reported significantly (p <.001) higher levels of IM compared with students whose mentor or role model does not work in the construction industry. Data were stratified by gender and the results showed that female students’ self-efficacy and motivation had stronger correlations with inspiration/modeling than with support/guidance from supportive others; the opposite was true among male students. This article suggests that recruitment efforts for construction education programs should utilize persons working in the construction industry and be tailored to male or female students. Study limitations and areas of further research are discussed.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | academic decision-making; construction education; mentors; motivation; role models |
| Index terms: | role model, undergraduate, academic decision-making, self-efficacy, modelling, construction industry, recruitment, motivation, construction education, mentors, program |
| Subjects: | professional education, human factors and perception, practitioner, analytical methods, curriculum development, psychology, software systems, management, industry analysis, sociology, educational management |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Digital Applications, Human Resources, Engineering Principles, Education |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here