Professional Socialisation and the Values of Engineering Education in Ireland

This thesis investigates the values embedded in engineering education in Ireland, addressing an ongoing debate about the engineering profession's identity and societal role. Engineering represents a contact point between science, technology and society, but it has traditionally focused on technical and scientific content, often to the exclusion of social, political, or ethical considerations. This imbalance has contributed to a culture of disengagement, where social concerns are marginalised, and evidence suggests that engineering education may even discourage social consciousness in students. Within a social group such as a profession, dominant beliefs and behaviour are perpetuated through selection and socialisation. Individuals with conforming beliefs are attracted to and retained within the profession, while specific behaviours and traits are fostered in new members. Values, which are beliefs about desirable end goals, play a crucial role in decision making, including career choice. These values can be explicitly stated or implicit, embedded in actions, organisational structures, or norms. To fully understand the culture of engineering education, both explicit and implicit values must be examined. This thesis specifically explores the recruitment and professional socialisation of engineering students through the lens of values and norms. In this mixed methods study, the personal values of engineering students at different stages of their education were assessed quantitatively using the Schwartz value system, while a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, conducted with teaching staff and engineering students at universities across the Republic of Ireland, captured a range of perspectives on the values promoted within Irish engineering education and the wider profession. The university prospectus produced by each university in the Republic of Ireland was examined using thematic analysis to determine how the values of the profession are presented during the recruitment of engineering students. Findings reveal that engineering recruitment materials primarily emphasise problem-solving, practical hands-on application, and scientific theory, creating a complex and sometimes conflicting portrayal of the profession which may contribute to misconceptions about the nature of engineering work. The ideal engineer, as envisioned by Irish engineering education, is a technically skilled problem-solver who prioritises universalism, benevolence, and self direction. The value profiles of engineering students in this study fit this description. The value profiles of engineering students at the beginning of their engineering education did not differ significantly from those at the end. However, they did show some significant differences from other sampled groups, supporting the theory that personal values may play a role in the decision to choose to study engineering. The perceived norms of engineering practice as described in this study require maintaining a degree of scientific detachment and encourage a notable reluctance to embrace or define the social responsibilities of engineers, with an emphasis on fitting within existing industrial structures rather than challenging them. While there is an acknowledgement of the importance of contributing to societal well-being, this is seen as a personal choice rather than an inherent responsibility of the profession. The constraints on the engineering curriculum, which prioritises serving the needs of industry without a strong advocate for the needs of society, perpetuate this limited view of the engineer’s role.