Levels and Differences in Professional Identity in Engineering Undergraduates.

Professional identity is a form of social identity which is developed with the adherence to perform competently and legitimately in profession. It is the basis of professional functioning and socio-cultural capital for employability. Since engineers play a crucial role in today’s rapidly accelerating technological development, it is important for them to have a stable and strong professional identity. The aim of this research was to examine the level and differences in professional identity depending on sociodemographic characteristics of Croatian electrical engineering and computing students. Research participants were 431 freshmen students (73.1% male; age: $M=18.67, SD=0.57$). Participants completed an online survey containing questionnaires measuring three professional identity dimensions (knowledge about future profession, direct experience with future profession, and self-efficacy related to future profession) and socio-demographic characteristics. The results showed that the self-efficacy dimension of professional identity was higher than the other two dimensions. Male students, students informed about the study program, students who have engineer(s) among close family members and who were raised in the place of study, as well as students who work student job have higher levels of some dimensions of professional identity.