BRIDGES AND PROBLEM SOLVING Swedish Engineering Students Conceptions of Engineering in 2007

Swedish engineering students' conceptions of engineering is investigated by a large nation-wide study in ten Swedish higher education institutions. Based on data from surveys and interviews, categories and top-lists, a picture of students conceptions of engineering is presented. Students' conceptions of engineering, are somewhat divergent, but dealing with problems and their solutions and creativity are identified as core concepts. The survey data is in general more varied and deals with somewhat different kinds of terms. When explicitly asking for five engineering terms, as in the survey, a broader picture arises including terms, or concepts, denoting how students think of engineering and work in a more personal way. For example, words like hard work, stressful, challenging, interesting, and fun are used. On the other hand, it seems like the interviewed students tried to give more general answers that were not always connected to their personal experiences. Knowledge on students' conceptions of engineering is essential for practitioners in engineering education. By information on students' conceptions, the teaching can approach students at their particular mindset of the engineering field. Program managers with responsibility for design of engineering programs would also benefit using information on students' conceptions of engineering. Courses could be motivated and contextualized in order to connect with the students. Recruitment officers would also have an easier time marketing why people should chose the engineering track.