Influences of Engineering Students' College Experiences on Leadership Skill Assurance

With a growing interest in developing leadership skills among engineering students comes the need to better understand students' experiences that contribute to leadership abilities. The purpose of this study is to explore the engagement of undergraduate engineering students and learn how it relates to their leadership skill assurance (LSA), the belief in their ability to exhibit leadership skills in their career or studies after graduation. The connection of engagement to leadership development is taken within the context of the College Impact Model. A case study quantitative method was used to gather data from 1,770 graduating engineering students from a large, public university. The study uses generalized linear modeling (GLM) to measure LSA, based on student classroom, out-of-class, and curricular experiences, as outlined by the College Impact Model. Results showed that activities from each category were significant in their relationship to LSA. The highest rated factors were involvement in Space Grant (an out-of-class activity), quality of peer interactions (a classroom activity), and choosing an engineering management minor (a curricular decision). Identification of activities and level of satisfaction that align with higher LSA help engineering educators to determine where to contribute resources toward the development of leadership in engineering students.