RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT · 2025

How Program Names Shape Construction Student Identity

Clear program communication can improve academic choice and professional identity.

Construction educationEducation studyJournal article

The question

Construction Management, Construction Engineering, and Construction Engineering Technology have distinct curricula, yet their similar names can confuse students about academic and career pathways. The study examined whether that perception changes with academic experience.

What we did

Student responses across academic levels were analyzed using chi-square tests and binary logistic regression. The analysis focused on whether students viewed the three program types as equivalent and how that judgment varied from early years to senior study.

What we found

Early-year students expressed more varied views about whether the programs are equivalent.
Senior students were significantly less likely to view the degrees as interchangeable.
Advanced coursework, industry exposure, and faculty guidance may help clarify discipline-specific outcomes.

Why it matters

Clear program communication can improve academic choice and professional identity. The results support explaining curriculum and career differences early, before students rely on similar program titles as a proxy for equivalence. Read together, the question, method, and findings show how this publication fits within Tafazzoli’s broader program of connecting built-environment evidence with practical decisions. The page intentionally separates documented results from interpretation and directs readers to the complete paper for methodological detail. The study also illustrates a recurring principle across this research portfolio: a useful result must be understood in its original setting before it is transferred to another project, organization, population, or policy context.

Diagram summarizing How Program Names Shape Construction Student Identity — Academic experience clarifies program identity. This original synthesis graphic is based on the study’s documented question, method, or principal contribution; consult the paper for complete figures, labels, units, and uncertainty.
Original website synthesis based on the cited publication.
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READ THE PAPER

STEM education and academic identity: The influence of program titles on construction students’ perceptions

Published · 2025 · Journal article

Kisi, K. P., Shrestha, K., Tafazzoli, M., Rokooei, S., & Shrestha, K. J. (2025). STEM education and academic identity: The influence of program titles on construction students’ perceptions. American Journal of STEM Education, 10, 81–94. https://doi.org/10.32674/enm6ay26

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DOI: 10.32674/enm6ay26

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