Beliefs or Belonging: Perception of First Year Engineering Students

This study explores differences between perceptions of Traditional and Non-Traditional engineering students of their sense of belonging with a view to how this informs student intention to persist. This paper presents findings from an exploratory survey of (N=365) 1 st year Bachelor of Engineering students at a Nordic Technical University. The survey was developed to explore background factors influencing student motivation and persistence. The results were analysed via R statistical software and reveal that nontraditional students, particularly those from diverse ethnic backgrounds, perceive a lower level of sense of belonging and academic support compared to traditional students. The results point to the need for universities to develop early-stage initiatives sensitive to the different challenges integrating academically and socially as is often experienced by non-traditional students. Thereby enhancing inclusivity and improving student persistence within engineering education.