Diversity-Related Differences in Students’ Perceptions of an Industrial Engineering Program

The demand for diversity in the population of engineering professionals is growing, following both the general demand forengineering professionals and the explicit need for more diverse teams. Thus, the engineering education community isbecoming more interested in identifying factors that influence students’ satisfaction with their engineering education. Thepurpose of this study was to elicit students’ perception of an industrial engineering program in Germany and identifydifferences in students’ perceptions based on their migration background, being a first-generation student, and theirgender. We solicited survey data from 132 undergraduates of an industrial engineering program of a large University ofApplied Sciences in Southern Germany. Wetested whethertherewere significantdifferences regarding the satisfaction withthe study program (e.g. perceived time and performance pressure, role models), intra-personal variables (e.g. locus ofcontrol), preferences regarding gender distribution, and perceived discrimination. Results indicate differences in theperception of and approach to the industrial engineering program between majority and non-majority students.Satisfaction with the program and perception of the faculty as role models were somewhat lower for students with amigration background and female students. First-generation students differed in their perceived locus of control; studentswith a migration background showed more extrinsic motivation and perceived more discrimination. Implications focus oncombining psychological and structural interventions that address and recognize diverse perceptions and approaches instudents and academic affairs practice.