Research Overview
Engineering education faces persistent challenges in student retention and achievement, particularly for historically underrepresented groups. Despite substantial investments in academic support and curricular improvements, graduation rates remain concerning, with pronounced disparities across demographic lines. This research program addresses these challenges by examining how psychological barriers—rather than purely academic factors—contribute to engineering student outcomes.
Two comprehensive studies with first-year engineering students at Stellenbosch University reveal groundbreaking insights into how theory-driven psychological interventions can transform educational outcomes. The research demonstrates that targeted interventions addressing specific psychological barriers can produce substantial improvements in both academic performance and equity, with some interventions reducing demographic achievement gaps by up to 96%.
Central to these findings is the discovery of what we term the "diligence dividend"—a synergistic relationship where conscientious engagement with psychological interventions produces outcomes greater than either factor alone could achieve. This research provides both theoretical understanding and practical guidance for engineering educators seeking to support diverse student populations more effectively.
Substantial Academic Improvements
Students participating in interventions showed 9-18 percentage point higher pass rates and 10-17 percentage point higher retention rates compared to non-participants across multiple cohorts.
Dramatic Gap Reductions
Achievement gaps based on race, gender, and socioeconomic status were reduced by 25-96% among students who engaged with interventions, with the largest reductions seen in retention rates.
The Diligence Dividend
Conscientiousness amplifies intervention benefits, creating a synergistic effect where engaged students experience outcomes greater than either conscientiousness or intervention content could produce independently.
Intervention Specificity
Different interventions proved most effective for different demographic groups: social belonging for Black students and women, self-affirmation for women, and cognitive restructuring for socioeconomically disadvantaged students.
Research Presentation: The Diligence Dividend
Presenter: Dr. Alten du Plessis
This presentation explores how conscientiousness interacts with psychological interventions to create the "diligence dividend." The research reveals that students who conscientiously engage with interventions experience amplified benefits, leading to substantial reductions in demographic achievement gaps and improved academic outcomes across engineering education.
Research Publications
The Diligence Dividend: How Conscientiousness Amplifies Psychological Intervention Benefits in Engineering Education
This companion study introduces the concept of the "diligence dividend"—the synergistic relationship between conscientiousness and psychological interventions. Using intervention activity completion as a behavioral measure of conscientiousness, the research reveals how engaged students experience amplified benefits from psychological support programs.
Key Innovation: The study demonstrates that conscientiousness doesn't just predict better outcomes—it fundamentally transforms how interventions work. Among conscientious students, demographic achievement gaps are virtually eliminated, suggesting that fostering engagement may be as important as intervention content itself.
Mind Over Mathematics: Seven Psychological Interventions That Transform Engineering Education Outcomes
This systematic evaluation examines seven theory-driven psychological interventions targeting distinct barriers to engineering success: belonging uncertainty, fixed mindset, stereotype threat, low confidence, poor resilience, negative thought patterns, and test anxiety. Results demonstrate that these "ordinary magic" interventions—which work by precisely targeting meaning-making processes—can substantially improve academic outcomes while reducing demographic achievement gaps.
Key Innovation: The study establishes psychological interventions as critical tools for engineering education, providing empirical evidence that addressing non-cognitive barriers can be as important as academic support. The research reveals distinctive efficacy patterns across demographic groups, offering guidance for targeted implementation strategies.
Fostering Belonging: The Impact of a Wise Intervention on Diverse Engineering Students
This published study provides an in-depth examination of the Making Differences Count (MDC) social belonging intervention combined with growth mindset activities. Implemented with first-year engineering students, the research demonstrates significant improvements in academic performance, with participants achieving higher final marks in Engineering Mathematics 115 and substantially improved retention rates (up to 94.51% for combined interventions).
Key Innovation: The study reveals that first-generation and socioeconomically disadvantaged students report significantly higher positive emotions from belonging interventions, suggesting these "wise interventions" are particularly effective for students facing the greatest barriers. The research also explores the potential synergistic effects of combining belonging and mindset interventions.
Publication Status
Current Phase: Both papers are work-in-progress and currently being refined for submission to peer-reviewed journals and/or conferences.
Internal Distribution: Papers are available for internal review and will be distributed as research reports within Stellenbosch University.
Intellectual Property: All research content, methodologies, and findings are the intellectual property of Stellenbosch University.