Measuring maturing rates of engineering students using the Perry model

It is believed that freshmen students are somewhere between Positions 2 and 3 on the Perry scale; that is, that they are strongly dualistic thinkers who rely heavily on authority in making and justifying decisions. Ideally, however, a professional should be at least at Perry Position 6. At this level of development, the individual uses evidence, logic, and investigated standards to make decisions in an ambiguous real-world situation. Also, the individual understands the need for individual commitment in the decision process. Thus a goal of collegiate education should be to help students develop from about Position 2 to Position 6. The engineering and science students at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) have been tested to determine what development actually does occur in the four years of the undergraduate experience. The data obtained should help drive discussion and redesign of curricula if the Position 6 developmental goal is not being achieved. The data show that a large fraction of seniors have not even reached Position 5, and some are still below 4.0