Rosso, L L (1998) The current status of four-year undergraduate construction education programs in the United States. PhD thesis, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College, USA.
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to describe selected program, curriculum, student, and faculty characteristics, and to explore bivariate relationships between selected pairs of variables within these categories. The review of literature encompassed: general curriculum development and philosophy; American Council for Construction Education, Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, and National Association of Industrial Technology accreditation agencies program philosophies and criteria; and past studies related to programs, faculty, and graduates. The methodology included: a survey of 156 programs; a 26 item survey mailed questionnaire; two follow-up postcards and a follow-up telephone call to all non-respondents; and a facsimile to 25 non-respondents. The survey had a 72. 48% response rate from 109 programs that were classified as four-year undergraduate construction education programs. The Associated Schools of Construction was represented by 73. 42% of the respondents. The data were analyzed by the Number Cruncher Statistical Systems 6. 0. Measures of central tendency, variability, and association were presented on selected variables. The results were compared to similar results of past studies. The major findings were that construction education programs were administered by design, technology, and business disciplines. Construction management was the most common name of a program. ACCE was the most common accreditation agency. Programs experienced large industry advisory board involvement, graduate job placement rates, and external funding. Student enrollment and faculty had increased since 1990. The majority of the faculty had doctorate and masters degrees. Almost half of the faculty had tenure and were engaged in research activities. Correlations with substantial association were found among full-time faculty, research activities, external funding, and tenured faculty. The summated conclusion and recommendation was construction education was a young discipline that was strongly supported by industry. The discipline continues to grow in the academic environment of higher education in the United States. Further research was recommended on program, curriculum, student and faculty characteristics, and program growth and expansion.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Kuetemeyer, V F |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | United States; construction education; education; funding; graduate; higher education; philosophy; schools |
| Index terms: | curriculum development, agency, questionnaire, program, methodology, construction education, philosophy, survey, United States, placement, tenure, variability, funding, undergraduate, higher education, enrolment |
| Subjects: | recruitment and enrolment, educational institutions, sociology, philosophical studies, statistical analysis, management, software systems, real estate economics, data collection methods, professional education, research methods, Geography, curriculum development, economic analysis |
| Topics: | Geographical Context, Education, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Urban Studies, Digital Applications, Human Resources |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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