Shaping tomorrow’s classrooms
What engineering doctoral students expect as future educators
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22166380 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Omar J Garcia (University of St.Gallen), Javeed Kittur (0000-0001-6132-7304, Pathways Behavioral Services) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2504-284X • E-ISSN: 2504-284X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/feduc.2026.1656350 |
| OpenAlex | W7134036287 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 36 |
Introduction Engineering doctoral students who pursue careers in academia will be required to teach courses; however, their PhD programs typically result in much less teaching experience compared to research experience. Most teaching experience occurs through graduate teaching assistantships, which may include training but involve a wide variety of roles. While some doctoral students seek additional instructional positions during their PhD programs, these are typically not required. Given this context, this study aims to understand engineering doctoral students’expectations regarding the teaching requirements of being faculty. Methods To understand doctoral students’ expectations, 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted to address three sub-questions: (1) how participants’teaching and mentoring philosophies have shifted throughout their PhD programs, (2) how important participants perceive teaching to be in academia, and (3) their expectations regarding classroom teaching as future faculty members. The interviews were conducted via Zoom, and the transcripts were coded and analyzed using NVivo. Results The analysis revealed that participants develop their instructional approaches through a combination of formal teaching assistantships, informal teaching and mentoring experiences, and interactions with faculty. Participants also expressed concerns about work–life balance and the social responsibility associated with being an instructor. Discussion The findings emphasize the need for additional teaching experience and the expansion of development programs in engineering PhD programs, including resources on pedagogical principles. Future research may examine how these expectations evolve over time as doctoral students begin teaching
Engineering education · Graduate education · Graduate students · Qualitative research · Teaching method · Doctoral Education Challenges and Solutions · Evaluation of Teaching Practices · Higher Education Practises and Engagement
The evaluation of scholarship in academic promotion and tenure processes
Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics
Pursuing Careers Inside or Outside Academia? Factors Associated With Doctoral Students’ Career Decision Making
Enabling possibility
Advisors, peers, and counterspaces
Women Academics and Work–Life Balance
Measuring Learning Outcomes in Higher Education
Socialization Experiences Resulting from Doctoral Engineering Teaching Assistantships
Research, teaching and performance evaluation in academia
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |