The application of the repertory grid interview method for improving the identification and understanding of competencies required for engineering practice

Educating engineers through outcome-based education requires the identification of competencies required for engineering practice. One of the ways in which such competencies can be identified is by engaging with practising engineers through interviews. During interviews, engineers are asked to describe competencies required for various aspects of engineering practice. However, there are at least two main limitations in such interviews. First, practising engineers often find it difficult to articulately describe and explain part of competencies that are implicit [1]. Second, interviewers often find it difficult to accurately interpret words and phrases used for competency descriptions [2]. Interview methods that can improve the identification and understanding of competencies required have therefore been called for. This paper describes an interview method that can help interviewers in identifying part of competencies that are implicit, and in interpreting words and phrases used by interviewees. We adopt, adapt and apply the Repertory Grid Technique (RGT) method for interviewing practising engineers. It is found that such approach can facilitate the elicitation of competencies that are implicit to the interviewees. It can also help in accessing personal meanings of words and phrases used by them. This paper begins by discussing the explicit, implicit and tacit aspects of engineering practice, and the use of interviews for gathering the knowledge about the first two aspects. Then, the two limitations in using interviews for gathering such knowledge are discussed. After that, the RGT interview method is described with an illustrative example of how the interview process addresses the two difficulties.