Research Initiation: Assessing Four-Year Teaching Institutions' Readiness to Equip Future Civil and Construction Professionals with Emerging Technologies

As global demand for durable and resilient infrastructure grows, civil engineering and construction management (CECM) programs must prepare students with foundational knowledge and learning experiences in emerging technologies (ETs), including artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics, automation and monitoring, sensing and immersive technologies, and modeling and simulation. As the construction industry continues to adopt new digital tools and technologies, CECM programs must equip graduates to navigate the increasing complexity and integration of these technologies. Four-year teaching institutions, particularly regional and other primarily teaching-focused colleges and universities, outnumber doctoral universities (Carnegie-classified R1 and R2) and therefore play a critical role in ET education and in preparing the future infrastructure workforce. While numerous researchers have examined ET education in CECM programs, there is limited research focused on the readiness of four-year teaching institutions. This project seeks to assess the readiness of these institutions to incorporate ETs into their undergraduate programs and prepare future civil and construction management professionals with essential skills for advanced technologies. By identifying institutional capabilities and barriers, the project directly supports the solicitation’s emphasis on the holistic formation of future engineers. This project will examine CECM undergraduate programs in four-year teaching institutions across the United States and have two primary objectives: (1) conduct an exploratory study to examine structural supports and barriers, as well as faculty-level perceived agency and readiness to teach ETs in four-year teaching institutions, which will result in identification of suitable practices for integrating ETs into students’ experiences; and (2) equip PIs (two CECM faculty members at California State University, Northridge) with foundational skills in conducting engineering education research (EER). Regarding the first objective, the research team will address the following research question: What factors shape whether and how educators within CECM programs in four-year teaching institutions integrate ETs into undergraduate education? To achieve the first objective, the study will be grounded in two complementary theoretical frameworks and conducted through a multi-site case study of six selected programs that vary by program type, size, and geographic region. Data will be collected through CECM program websites, program-level curricula, course materials, and interviews with program coordinators and faculty members. The proposed study will address a gap in research on ET integration in CECM programs by providing insights into current practices, institutional supports, barriers, and faculty readiness to incorporate ETs into teaching. Findings are expected to lead to actionable recommendations, particularly for CECM programs at four-year teaching institutions. Because the quality and breadth of ET instruction in undergraduate programs can influence graduates’ ability to adopt new technologies, improved ET readiness in CECM education can help prepare future professionals to responsibly apply innovative solutions that enhance efficiency, resilience, and safety in the built environment. To achieve the second objective, the project mentor will support the PIs through group discussions of foundational readings on topics related to educational research methods, together with a hands-on cognitive apprenticeship as the team conducts the study. Participation in the project will strengthen the PIs’ EER skills and connect them with the broader educational research community. Insights from this exploratory study may inform institutional decision-making on how to support ET integration in CECM programs at teaching-focused institutions across the United States. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.