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An exploration of psychological safety and conflict in first‐year engineering student teams
Abstract: Background
Developing teamwork skills is a central objective of engineering education. Psychological safety and conflict management are pivotal components of teamwork, yet despite their significance, research in engineering project-based learning (PBL) contexts is scant. Understanding students' experiences with psychological safety and its interaction with conflict is crucial to inform PBL pedagogy.
Purpose
This study delves into first-year engineering students' experiences of psychological safety and conflict, including their evolution in a PBL course. (read more)
Methods
Throughout the semester, we collected data from 82 students via written reflections and focus groups. Employing a thematic analysis underpinned by the team conflict dynamics model, we characterized students' experiences with psychological safety and conflict.
Findings
At the semester's outset, psychological safety was notably lacking. Students often hesitated to share ideas due to apprehensions about peer reactions and fears of negative judgments. As the semester advanced, consistent positive affirmations nurtured psychological safety, increasing students' confidence and readiness to discuss ideas openly and engage in healthy task conflict. Notably, process conflicts arising from absenteeism, poor communication, and procrastination were prevalent across teams. When unresolved, these conflicts eroded psychological safety, intensifying stress, exacerbating frustrations, and provoking relationship conflict.
Conclusions
Our study underscores the intertwined nature of psychological safety and conflict in shaping the first-year design experience in student teams. We urge faculty to recognize their pivotal role in fostering an inclusive culture and highlight pedagogical strategies that can bolster psychological safety at the onset, encourage healthy task conflict, and monitor unhealthy process and relationship conflicts.
PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
Huerta, M. V., Sajadi, S., Schibelius, L., Ryan, O. J., & Fisher, M. (2024). An exploration of psychological safety and conflict in first‐year engineering student teams. Journal of Engineering Education, 113(3), 635-666. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20608
Paretti, M. C., Murzi, H., Lutz, B., Menon, M., & Schibelius, L. (2024) Learning to Teach Engineering Capstone Design: An Analysis of Faculty Members’ Experiences. International Journal of Engineering Education 40 (2), 440-456
THESES/DISSERTATIONS
Schibelius, L. M. (In Progress). Conflict management in engineering teams: capstone design and the workplace. Doctoral Dissertation. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Chair: Marie Paretti
Schibelius, L. M. (2018). Utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles for atmospheric data acquisition. University of South Alabama. Department of mechanical engineering, University of South Alabama. Master's Thesis. ProQuest Link
Schibelius, L.M. (2016). Simulation analysis of a speed-controlled single-cylinder vehicle. Department of mechanical engineering, University of South Alabama. Honors Undergraduate Thesis. University Honors Program.
PEER-REVIEWED CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Padilla, V. S., & Schibelius, L. (2024, June). College Choice Decisions: An Evaluation of Perna’s Conceptual Model Across Populations and Cultural Contexts. In 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.
Schibelius, L., Ryan, O., & Sajadi, S. (2023, October). Student perceptions of teamwork, conflict, and industry preparedness in engineering interdisciplinary capstone design. In 2023 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) (pp. 1-9). IEEE.
Sajadi, S., Ryan, O., Schibelius, L., & Huerta, M. (2023, October). WIP: Using Generative AI to Assist in Individual Performance Feedback for Engineering Student Teams. In 2023 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) (pp. 1-5). IEEE.
Schibelius, L., & Murzi, H. (2023). Draw education: Graduate Student Perceptions Of Education Using An Arts-Informed Approach. Paper presented at SEFI annual conference, Dublin, Ireland
Ryan, O., Fisher, M. J., Schibelius, L., Huerta, M. V., & Sajadi, S. (2023, June). Using a scenario-based learning approach with instructional technology to teach conflict management to engineering students. In 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.
Schibelius, L., Chowdhury, T. M., Schuman, A. L., & Murzi, H. (2023, June). Comparison of student global perspectives pre-and post-COVID for a study abroad program. In 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.
Murzi, H., Duran, D. F., Forsyth, J., Soto, K. M., James, M., & Schibelius, L. (2022, October). WIP: Developing an arts-informed approach to understand students’ perceptions of engineering. In 2022 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) (pp. 1-4). IEEE.
Schibelius, L.M., Ross, A, Katz, A, (2022). An Empirical Study of Programming Languages Specified in Engineering Job Postings Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, Minnesota. June 2022.
Kimball, S. K., C. Montalvo, L. Schibelius, and M. Mulekar (2018). Observing atmospheric parameters using quadcopters. International Society for Atmospheric Research using Remotely piloted Aircraft (ISARRA) 2018 Conference, Boulder, CO. 1 - 12 July 2018
Kimball, S., Montalvo, C., Mulekar, M., Schibelius, L., Carithers, C., & Kolakoski, C. (2018, January). Observing atmospheric parameters using quadcopters. In 98th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting. AMS.
Schibelius, Lisa M., and Carlos J. Montalvo. "Multi-MASS: A Fleet of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Atmospheric Characterization." 9th AIAA Atmospheric and Space Environments Conference. 2017
Lisa Schibelius and Carlos Montalvo. “Design of an Atmospheric Sensing Package for a Quadrotor”. In: AIAA Region II Student Conference Starkville, MS. Apr. 2017.
Sytske Kimball, Carlos Montalvo, and Lisa Schibelius. “Comparing quadcopter iMET Temperature, Pressure, and Humidity data with 10 m tower data”. In: 97th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society Seattle, Washington. Jan. 2017.
Schibelius, L.M., Montalvo, C.J. (April 2016) Simulation analysis of a speed-controlled single-cylinder vehicle. AIAA 2016 Region II Student Conference, Huntsville, AL