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Mar 29, 2018
Assessing the Graduate Education in Research Methodology on Sustainability
Authors: Dong Zhao [email protected], Rodolfo Valdes-Vasquez [email protected], Denise R. Simmons [email protected], and Kristen Parrish [email protected]Author Affiliations
Publication: Construction Research Congress 2018
Abstract
Graduate students will go on to be future scholars in sustainability, and the ability to design and execute research projects are necessary skills for them to build scholarship. In response, many STEM programs, including construction engineering, civil engineering, and architectural engineering, provide graduate level courses in research design and methods. Graduate students learn the skills in research methodology either formally from such a course or informally from their advisor(s). However, little to no evidence has been obtained to quantify such learning outcomes. This paper reports a case study that was designed to assess graduate students’ understanding and implementation of research methodologies. To do so, a mixed research methods approach was conducted. The work applies mixed research methods. Data were collected from the Michael Horman Sustainability Symposium, a forum for faculty and students from multiple U.S. universities focusing on the discussion of sustainability topics. The attendees (N = 53) were required to prepare a statement to detail their research plan and associated research method and to present in a focus group setting. The authors evaluated the statement in the topic (i.e., merit, impacts, originality, and relevance) and methodology (i.e., rationale, feasibility, creativity, and scalability) using a 5-point Likert scale. The evaluation criteria are based on ASCE journal reviewing standards. Both quantitative analysis on the evaluation scores and qualitative analysis on the focus group notes were performed. Results reveal that graduate students know how to identify emerging research problems in sustainability, yet lack the capability to select appropriate research methods to support the intended investigation. The findings help better understand the research methodologies required for conducting sustainability studies, and illuminate teaching strategies that can strengthen students’ capability of problem-solving.
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© 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: Mar 29, 2018
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School of Planning, Design and Construction and Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State Univ., 552 W Circle Dr., East Lasing, MI 48824. E-mail: [email protected]
Dept. of Construction Management, Colorado State Univ., 224C Guggenheim Hall, Fort Collins, CO 80523. E-mail: [email protected]
Myers-Lawson School of Construction and Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1345 Perry St., Blacksburg, VA 24061. E-mail: [email protected]
School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State Univ., P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ 85287. E-mail: [email protected]
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ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.
Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.