Wo kshop
Recommended ci a ion: P es igiacomo, R., & Babayekho asani, F. (2025). The
Ni y-G i y o Theo e ical F amewo ks. In Kangaslampi, R., Langie, G., Jä inen,
H.-M., & Nagy, B. (Eds.), SEFI 53 d Annual Con e ence. Eu opean Socie y o
Enginee ing Educa ion (SEFI), Tampe e, Finland. DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.17631311.
This Con e ence Pape is b ough o you o open access by he 53 d Annual Con e ence
o he Eu opean Socie y o Enginee ing Educa ion (SEFI) a Tampe e Uni e si y in
Tampe e, Finland. This wo k is licensed unde a C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion-NonComme cial-Sha e Alike 4.0 In e na ional License.
THE NITTY-GRITTY OF THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS
R P es igiacomo a,1, F Babayekho asani b
a Uni e si y o New Sou h Wales, Sydney, Aus alia, 0000-0001-6315-3301
b Uni e si y o New Sou h Wales, Sydney, Aus alia, 0000-0002-5115-4179
Con e ence Key A eas: Building he capaci y and s eng hening he educa ional
compe ences o enginee ing educa o s; Imp o ing highe enginee ing educa ion
h ough esea ching enginee ing educa ion
Keywo ds: Enginee ing Educa ion Resea ch, Theo e ical F amewo k, Resea ch
Me hodology, In e disciplina i y.
ABSTRACT
As enginee ing academics ansi ion om echnical disciplines in o he e ol ing ield
o Enginee ing Educa ion Resea ch (EER), hey o en ace me hodological and
concep ual challenges, including he unde s anding o heo e ical amewo ks. This
in e disciplina y complexi y equen ly lea es newcome s unce ain abou how
heo e ical amewo ks can shape esea ch ques ions, me hodology, and da a
analysis, limi ing he igo , us wo hiness and ans e abili y o hei wo k.
Recognising his gap, his wo kshop seeks o o e s uc u ed guidance o newcome s
o EER by cla i ying wha , why and how o heo e ical amewo ks.
Th ough in e ac i e discussions and a ge ed ac i i ies, pa icipan s will explo e how
heo e ical amewo ks can in o m esea ch design and analysis. A endees will apply
heo e ical lenses o ele an enginee ing educa ion scena ios, collabo a i ely
de eloping unde s anding and con idence needed o embed heo y meaning ully in o
hei esea ch and p oduce heo e ically g ounded esea ch in EER. Finally, he
wo kshop is in ended o p o ide oppo uni ies o communi y engagemen among
newcome s, enhancing p o essional ne wo ks ha may suppo ongoing schola ly
g ow h and u u e collabo a ions.
1 R P es igiacomo
.p es [email protected]
1 BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
1.1 BACKGROUND
Enginee ing Educa ion Resea ch (EER) explo es how o imp o e enginee ing
educa ion, unlike echnical esea ch which p ima ily in es iga es applied knowledge
de i ed om he physical wo ld (Klassen & Case, 2021). The ield o EER con inues
o wi ness an inc easing numbe o enginee ing academics ansi ioning om hei
echnical disciplines. This passage equi es a pa adigm shi om a posi i is ic o an
in e p e i is app oach as well as engagemen wi h new bodies o knowledge, ja gons
and esea ch me hods. This is associa ed wi h he in eg a ion o heo e ical
pe spec i es om ields such as he lea ning sciences, educa ion esea ch, cogni i e
psychology, and social science (Joh i & Olds, 2011; Klassen & Case, 2021), all o
which may ini ially eel un amilia o esea che s om enginee ing backg ounds.
While his shi p esen s oppo uni ies o in e disciplina y con ibu ions, newcome s -
pos g adua e s uden s and ea ly ca ee academics- may encoun e se e al
concep ual di icul ies (Bo ego & Be nha d, 2011; S e ele e al. 2015). Among hese,
unde s anding wha a heo e ical amewo k is and how o apply i in an educa ion
esea ch p ojec meaning ully ep esen s a challenge. A heo e ical amewo k se es
o o ien he esea ch app oach and cla i y he unde lying p inciples and in en ions o
he s udy o he b oade academic communi y (Klassen & Case, 2021; Magana,
2022). I se es as an o e a ching s uc u e ha ensu es esea ch ou comes a e
in e p e able, eplicable and ans e able. When selec ing a heo e ical amewo k,
esea che s mus conside he na u e o hei s udy, he esea ch ques ions posed,
and he b oade schola ly discou se. Since his p ocess is no igid, newcome s may
need some guidance and suppo .
1.2 Ra ionale
Newcome s in o EER may s uggle wi h heo e ical amewo ks and hei in eg a ion
in o hei esea ch design and da a analysis. Wi hou a clea unde s anding o he ole
o a heo e ical amewo k, esea che s may be unable o cohe en ly ame and
o ien a e hei wo k and con ibu e o he c ea ion o new knowledge in EER. The lack
o a heo e ical amewo k can also educe he igo , us wo hiness and ans e abili y
o esea ch wi hin he EER esea ch communi y (S e ele e al, 2015), ul ima ely,
limi ing i s impac and con ibu ion. Add essing hese challenges is c ucial o
imp o ing esea ch quali y and helping newcome s e ec i ely posi ion hei wo k
wi hin he b oade academic landscape o EER (Magana, 2022).
This wo kshop is designed o b idge he abo e gaps by p o iding s uc u ed guidance
on he ole and use o heo e ical amewo ks in EER. By c ea ing a suppo i e space
o knowledge exchange, his session aims o empowe a endees wi h he ools
needed o unde s and and apply a heo e ical amewo k wi h con idence and conduc
heo e ically sound and igo ous esea ch in EER.
2 WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES
2.1 Ta ge audience
The a ge audience o his wo kshop a e newcome s - pos g adua e s uden s and
ea ly ca ee academics- ansi ioning om a echnical enginee ing ield in o EER. We
a e speci ically a ge ing his audience as hey may ace concep ual and
me hodological hu dles, including s uggles o na iga e he ole and use o heo e ical
amewo ks.
2.2 Expec ed lea ning ou comes
A endees pa icipa ing in his wo kshop can expec o:
1 Unde s anding he ole and use o a heo e ical amewo k in an EER p ojec :
gaining a comp ehensi e unde s anding o how heo e ical amewo ks shape
esea ch ques ions, esea ch design, me hodology, and in e p e a ions o da a.
2 Engaging wi h a communi y o newcome s o EER: being pa o s imula ing
discussions and a collabo a i e lea ning en i onmen wi h a communi y o
newcome s o EER.
3 WORKSHOP DESIGN
3.1 Time plan
The goal o his 60-minu e in e ac i e wo kshop (Table 1) is o help newcome s o EER
o demys i y he ole and use o a heo e ical amewo k. Pa icipan s will explo e how
heo e ical amewo ks shape esea ch ques ions, me hodologies, and in e p e a ions
o da a h ough small-g oup discussions and hands-on ac i i ies. The wo kshop will be
s uc u ed as ollows:
1. In oduc ion: will p o ide (i) a wo kshop o e iew and aims, and (ii) expec ed
lea ning ou comes. An iceb eake ac i i y will help he pa icipan s (i) e lec on
heo e ical amewo ks, (ii) se he s age o he ac i i ies o ollow, and (iii)
unde s and he con ex o he wo kshop.
2. In e ac i e Discussion: will in oduce wha a heo e ical amewo k is and why
i ma e s. A e his, pa icipan s will b eak in o small g oups o a hands-on
ac i i y.
3. W ap-Up & Conclusion: will allow pa icipan s o sha e ac ions hey will ake
based on he wo kshop. Facili a o s will also p o ide p ac ical ad ice o
newcome s, including ecommended eadings, ele an EER jou nals and
s a egies o na iga e heo e ical amewo ks knowledge.
Table 1. Time plan
Run
ime
Ac i i y No es
3 min
Welcome &
In oduc ion
O e iew o wo kshop, aims and expec ed lea ning ou comes.
10
min
Iceb eake
Ac i i y
Pai & Sha e
Wha is you mo i a ion o a ending oday's session?
Wha do you hope o lea n?
(Pa icipan s will sha e ini ial hough s).
Poll: How do you eel abou using a heo e ical amewo k in you
enginee ing educa ion esea ch?
10
min
Mini Lec u e
Wha is a Theo e ical F amewo k?
Why is a Theo e ical F amewo k impo an ?
5 min
Discussion
Theo y in
EER: Why
does i
ma e ?
An example ea u ing a esea ch idea - Women in Compu e
Science & Enginee ing (CSE)
The example demons a es
how pa icipan s can mo e om an
ini ial obse a ion o in e en ion o iden i ying a ele an
heo e ical amewo k,
dis il i s key ideas and applying o hei
enginee ing esea ch con ex . This is ollowed by o mula ing an
ini ial esea ch ques ion and iden i ying sui able
da a collec ion
me hod(s).
20
min
In e ac i e
ac i i y:
Mapping
Theo y in o
an
Enginee ing
Resea ch
P ojec
Applying Theo e ical Lenses:
Pa icipan s will be p omp ed o discuss heo e ical amewo k
ele ance, in e ela edness be ween heo e ical amewo k and
me hodology, da a collec ion me hods, and de elopmen o an
ini ial RQ.
Resea ch Scena io: In he inal-yea caps one, s uden s applied
hei chemical enginee ing knowledge o plan and equipmen
design, bu hey had limi ed exposu e o wo king wi hin ac ual
indus y se ings.
Sugges ed Theo e ical Lense:
Si ua ed Lea ning Theo y (B own, Collins & Duguid, 1989)
12
min
W ap-up &
Conclusions
Pa icipan s sha e ac ions hey will ake based on he wo kshop.
Facili a o s highligh po en ial s eps o wa d sugges ing eadings,
esou ces (i.e., ele an EER jou nals), and s a egies o na iga e
heo e ical amewo k knowledge.
Call o ac ion:
• in e es in sha ing esea ch ideas o ecei e eedback on
he use o a heo e ical amewo k
• explo ing po en ial collabo a ion oppo uni ies
• in e es in collabo a ing o a simila wo kshop (whe he
using ou ma e ials and esou ces o co-de eloping new
ones).
QR code o he ma e ials:
• Su ey: Wha was he mos aluable pa o he
wo kshop?
• Any s eng hs?
• Any weaknesses?
• Feedback on ele ance and con ibu ion o EER?
3.2 In e ac i i y
The in e ac i e s uc u e o he wo kshop seeks o engage he pa icipan s as ac i e
con ibu o s o he wo kshop session a he han passi e ecipien s o in o ma ion. By
encou aging he pa icipan s o hink c i ically and engage wi h he ma e ial p esen ed,
we aim o os e a collabo a i e en i onmen and enhance he pa icipan s’
unde s anding o heo e ical amewo ks.
4 WORKSHOP RESULTS
The wo kshop a ac ed 20 pa icipan s wi h a di e se ange o expe ise and
expe ience in ela ion o heo e ical amewo ks in enginee ing educa ion esea ch.
The wo kshop p o ided he oppo uni y o pa icipan s o pause and e lec on wha a
heo e ical amewo k is and how o ope a ionalise i in hei own esea ch.
The main ake-home messages om he discussion session we e:
• Pa icipan s sha ed concep ual di icul ies ha spanned di e en s ages o
engagemen wi h heo y: om a lack o unde s anding wha a heo e ical
amewo k is, o ope a ionalising i (mo ing om heo y o p ac ice), and
ul ima ely o using i o con ex ualise hei esea ch indings. The wo d cloud in
Figu e 1 cap u es hei sen imen abou heo e ical amewo ks, which was
sha ed du ing an ac i i y a he beginning o he wo kshop. While he nega i e
and o e whelming eedback conce ning heo e ical amewo ks canno be
aken as ep esen a i e o he b oade enginee ing educa ion communi y, i
ne e heless unde sco es ha subs an ial wo k s ill needs o be done o
add ess and o e come he ba ie s and challenges associa ed wi h hei use.
Figu e 1. Colla ed esponses om pa icipan s on how hey eel abou using a heo e ical
amewo k in hei enginee ing educa ion esea ch.
• Theo y is simila o he “bluep in ” o a house: i se es as a guide on which o
build and suppo a esea ch s udy.
• Theo ies de ine how a esea che philosophically, epis emologically,
me hodologically, and analy ically app oaches hei esea ch p ojec .
• The app op ia eness o a heo e ical amewo k is no a ma e o being igh o
w ong, bu a he o alignmen wi h he esea ch ocus and he na u e o he
inqui y.
We concluded he wo kshop by sha ing a se ies o esou ces o ge s a ed, including
some ounda ional eadings and key jou nals in EER. We also highligh ed some
p ac ical s a egies and key s eps o selec an app op ia e heo e ical amewo k. We
hope ha he wo kshop has o e ed he oppo uni y o sha ed lea ning and discussion
and e lec on how o ad ance he ield o EER in a mo e sys ema ic and heo e ically
in o med manne .
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