Work in progress — Future engineering professors´ conceptions of learning and teaching engineering

Prior studies indicate a teacher´s conceptions of teaching influences teaching practice. Although there is abundant research on teachers´ conceptions of teaching and students´ conceptions of learning, there is a dearth of information on future engineering professors´ conceptions. The development of conceptions of learning and teaching is not well understood either. This work-in-progress paper presents a study exploring future engineering professors´ conceptions of learning and teaching engineering. The study also explores what these future professors describe as the reasons for those conceptions. For this study, future engineering professors are defined as doctoral students in engineering programs who intend to pursue teaching careers in higher education. These students´ conceptions are explored through semi-structured interviews. Phenomenographic methods are used to identify variations in conceptions of learning and teaching engineering. Understanding these conceptions can help educators and faculty developers facilitate the development of more complex and appropriate conceptions of learning and teaching.