Understanding Student Motivation in Engineering Education

This workshop addresses the challenge of understanding student motivation in engineering education. While motivation is widely acknowledged as a key factor in student engagement, performance and retention, educators' assumptions about what motivates students do not always align with students' actual experiences and priorities. Participants will engage in a structured card-sorting activity in small groups, where they are asked to predict and rank motivational drivers from the perspective of today's engineering students. These group-based rankings will be compared with empirical data collected from students in Danish professional bachelor engineering programmes, who completed the same sorting exercise from their own viewpoint. The activity serves as a basis for critical reflection and discussion about potential mismatches between educator assumptions and student perspectives. Participants will be introduced to motivation profiles derived from the data and encouraged to consider how these insights can inform course and activity design. The session combines evidence-based input with peer dialogue and practical reflection.