Implications of Engineering and Education Professor's Problem-Solving Mindsets on Their Teaching and Research

Engineering has a reputation as a ``problem solving'' field, and many aspects of engineering education aim to prepare its future professionals to solve problems they may face in the real world. However, often the problem defining (or problem identifying) phase of the problem-solving process is less visible, which has the potential to bias solutions. This paper seeks to understand the qualities of a problem-solving mindset that are illustrated in faculty interview data and how these mindsets impact the interviewees' academic responsibilities, especially with respect to teaching and research. The interviews we analyzed included two faculty in the School of Engineering and two in the School of Education at a public university in Western Canada. By conducting the analysis, we hope to better understand a problem-solving mindset and its implications for engineering education.