Mühendisler Gibi Düşünmek, Araştırmacılar Gibi Yazmak: Disiplinlerarası Bir Derste Araştırma Okuryazarlığı ve Araştırmacı Kimliği

Öz

Bu nitel durum çalışması, Türkiye’deki bir teknik üniversitede yürütülen disiplinlerarası bir seçmeli derste mühendislik öğrencilerinin araştırma okuryazarlığını nasıl geliştirdiğini incelemektedir. Üçüncü ve dördüncü sınıftan yirmi dört öğrenci altı proje grubunda çalışmış; veriler, on iki öğrenciyle yapılan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler ile taslaklar, geribildirim notları ve revizyon kayıtlarını içeren proje çıktılarından oluşmuştur. Tematik analiz, konu seçimi, işbirliği ve yöntem odaklı yazma görevlerine odaklanmıştır. Bulgular, yazma süreçlerinin öğrencileri bilgi derlemekten küçük ölçekli sorgulamalar tasarlamaya yönelttiğini ve konu seçiminin neyin geçerli kanıt sayıldığını belirlediğini göstermektedir. Çalışma, araştırma temelli yazmayla erken karşılaşmanın, mühendislik öğrencilerinde daha esnek düşünmeyi ve oluşmaya başlayan araştırmacı kimliğini desteklediğini göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Araştırma okuryazarlığı
• akademik yazma
• mühendislik eğitimi
• disiplinlerarası öğrenme
• araştırmacı kimliği

Etik Beyan

Etik kurul onayı ve yazılı izin, Gebze Teknik Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler ve Beşerî Bilimler İnsan Araştırmaları Etik Kurulu’ndan alınmıştır (Protokol No: 2025/11-06, Onay Tarihi: 15.05.2025).

Teşekkür

Bu çalışma, araştırmanın önceden belirlenmiş disipliner sınırlar yerine sorunlarla kurulan etkileşim içinde geliştiği fikrine dayanan bir öğrenme ortamında şekillenmiştir. Bu yaklaşım, Karl Popper’ın “sorunların herhangi bir konu ya da disiplin sınırını kesebileceği” yönündeki görüşüyle de örtüşmektedir. Süreç boyunca gösterdiği destek için Gebze Teknik Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Dekanı Prof. Dr. Yusuf Sinan Akgül’e içten teşekkürlerimi sunarım. Disiplinlerarası yazma laboratuvarına katılan tüm öğrencilere de teşekkür ederim; katkıları, düşünsel yaklaşımları ve işbirliğine dayalı çalışma ruhları bu araştırmayı zenginleştirmiş ve mümkün kılmıştır.

Thinking Like Engineers, Writing as Researchers: Research Literacy and Identity in an Interdisciplinary Course

Öz

This qualitative case study examines how engineering students develop research literacy in an interdisciplinary elective at a technical university in Türkiye. Twenty-four third- and fourth-year students worked in six project groups; data include semi-structured interviews with twelve participants and project artefacts such as drafts, feedback, and revision notes. Thematic analysis focuses on topic selection, collaboration, and methodological writing tasks. Findings indicate that writing assignments encouraged students to move from compiling information to designing small-scale inquiries, and that topic choice shaped how they defined valid evidence. The study shows how early experiences with research-based writing can support more flexible reasoning and emerging forms of researcher identity in engineering education.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Research literacy
• academic writing
• engineering education
• interdisciplinary learning
• researcher identity

Etik Beyan

Ethical approval and written permission were obtained from the Social Sciences and Humanities Human Research Ethics Committee of Gebze Technical University (Protocol No: 2025/11-06, Approval Date: 15.05.2025).

Teşekkür

This work was shaped by a learning environment grounded in the idea that research develops through engagement with problems rather than predefined disciplinary boundaries, echoing Karl Popper’s insight that “problems may cut across the borders of any subject matter or discipline.” I extend my sincere gratitude to Prof. Dr. Yusuf Sinan Akgül, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Gebze Technical University, for his encouragement throughout the process. I am also grateful to all students who participated in the interdisciplinary writing laboratory; their contributions, reflections, and collaborative spirit enriched the study and made this research possible.

Kaynakça

1. Badenhorst, C. M., Moloney, C., & Rosales, J. (2020). New literacies for engineering students: Critical reflective-writing practice. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2020.1.10805
2. Boström, M., Lidskog, R., & Uggla, Y. (2017). A reflexive look at reflexivity in environmental sociology. Environmental Sociology, 3(1), 6–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2016.1237336
3. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
4. Condee, W. (2016). The interdisciplinary turn in the arts and humanities. Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies, 34, 12–29.
5. Grin, J., Felix, F., & Bos, B. (2004). Practices for reflexive design: Lessons from a Dutch programme on sustainable agriculture. International Journal of Foresight and Innovation Policy, 1(1/2), 126–149.
6. Hall, S. (1996). Who needs ‘identity’? In S. Hall, & P. du Gay (Eds.), Questions of cultural identity (pp. 1–17). SAGE Publications.
7. Heron, M., Baker, S., Gravett, K., & Irwin, E. (2023). Scoping academic oracy in higher education: Knotting together forgotten connections to equity and academic literacies. Higher Education Research & Development, 42(1), 62–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2022.2048635
8. Hill, S. (1995). The formation of the identity as a scientist. Science & Technology Studies, 8(1), 53–72.

9. Hsu, M.-C. (2015). Undergraduate engineering students' experiences of interdisciplinary learning: A phenomenographic perspective [Doctoral dissertation, Purdue University] Open Access Dissertations No. 475.
10. Ihsen, S., Schneider, W., & Scheibl, K. (2012). Interdisciplinary research collaborations and learning processes of engineers and social scientists during the development of a robot for seniors in Europe. World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education, 10(2), 116–121.
11. Johri, A., & Olds, B. M. (2013). Situated engineering learning: Bridging engineering education research and the learning sciences. Journal of Engineering Education, 100(1), 151–185. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2011.tb00007.x
12. Kali, Y. (2024). An ecological paradigm of interdisciplinary learning: Implications for design. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 33(2), 450–464. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2024.2354152
13. Klaassen, R. G. (2018). Interdisciplinary education: A case study. European Journal of Engineering Education, 43(6), 842–859. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2018.1442417
14. Lattuca, L. R., Knight, D. B., Ro, H. K., & Novoselich, B. J. (2017). Supporting the development of engineers’ interdisciplinary competence. Journal of Engineering Education, 106(1), 71–97. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20155
15. Li, M., & Liu, X. (2025). Enhancing humanities and social sciences curriculum in engineering institutions by using interdisciplinary approaches. Cogent Education, 12(1), 2433831. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2433831
16. Liquete, E., Dekoninck, E., & Wisker, G. (2025). From student to engineer: Identity formation in engineering education. European Journal of Engineering Education, 51(3), 537–560.https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2025.2537694
17. Loweth, R. P., Daly, S. R., Paborsky, L., Hoffman, S. L., & Skerlos, S. J. (2025). Collaboration rules: A narrative comparison of engineering students and practicing engineers' collaboration experiences and beliefs using structuration theory. Journal of Engineering Education, 114(2), e70002 https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70002
18. Mazur, J. E. (2016). Learning and behavior (7th ed.). Routledge.
19. McKenna, S. (2004). The intersection between academic literacies and student identities. South African Journal of Higher Education, 18(3), 269–280.
20. Minichiello, A., & Hanks, E. (2020). Becoming engineers in the middle years: Narrative writing as identity work in an undergraduate engineering science course. International Journal of Engineering Education, 36(5), 1529–1548.
21. Popper, K. R. (1962). Conjectures and refutations: The growth of scientific knowledge. Basic Books.
22. Rauf, A., & Bhatti, N. (2024). Interdisciplinary approaches to teaching social sciences in the 21st century. Multidisciplinary Journal of Emerging Needs of Curriculum, 1(2), 20–30.
23. Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions. Jossey-Bass.
24. Schön, D. A. (1992). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315237473
25. Süğümlü, Ü., & Tekşan, K. (2023). Academic literacy skills of postgraduate students in the Department of Turkish Education. Sakarya University Journal of Education, 13(5, Special Issue: World Language Turkish), 785–802. https://doi.org/10.19126/suje.1379513
26. Sweetman, M. M. (2025). Schön’s Theory of Reflective Practice. In M. N. Ikiugu, S. D. Taff, S. Kantartzis, & N. Pollard (Eds.), Routledge Companion to Occupational Therapy: Theories, Concepts and Models (pp. 711–719). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003526766-52
27. Välimaa, J. (1998). Culture and identity in higher education research. Higher Education, 36, 119–138.