The Effect of Engineering Academics’ Work Engagement on CI Triggered Professional Development

Abstract

This study aims to explore how engineering academics’ work engagement influences the extent to which critical incidents (CI) exert effect on their professional development through the mediation of perception and critical reflection of CI. Informed by transformative theory, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was employed to examine the mechanism of engineering academics’ work engagement contributing to the effect of CI on professional development. It was found that engineering academics’ work engagement had some direct positive impact on CI triggered professional development, but the corresponding indirect positive impact was predominant, which was realized through chain mediation of CI perception and CI reflection; and the former had significant impact on the latter; CI perception and CI reflection also had their respective direct positive effect on CI triggered professional development. It is concluded that engineering academics’ work engagement is a significant predictor of critical incident impact on their professional development mediated by CI perception and CI reflection.