Incorporating Industry Professionals as Guest Speakers in Construction Management Programs: Enhancing Knowledge and Learning Experiences

This study explores the impact of integrating industry guest speakers into United States Construction Management (CM) programs on student learning. Combining a primary survey and action research, the study explores the effect of industry guest speakers on students’ educational experiences and the effective approaches to improve student learning. The results indicate that industry guest speakers enhance students’ understanding of the construction industry and enrich their learning. Moreover, a thematic analysis employing inductive coding was utilized to analyze the qualitative feedback from open-ended questions from the primary survey. The findings reveal that students favor interactive formats, such as hands-on workshops and Q&A sessions, over traditional lectures. They strongly desire real-world examples to connect theory with practical application, emphasizing the need for guest lecture content to be pertinent to their CM coursework. Students also advocate for more frequent guest speaker appearances across all CM courses. The study acknowledges the potential for sample size expansion, recognizing its influence on data outcomes. As more participants are expected to join the survey, results may evolve. These findings offer insights for improving guest speaker integration in CM programs to align with students’ desire for enhanced learning experiences.