In most middle schools, learning is segregated by discipline. Yet interdisciplinary approaches have been shown to cultivate creative thinking, support problem solving, and develop interest while supporting knowledge gains (NAE & NRC in STEM Integration in K-12 Education: Status, Prospects, and an Agenda for Research. National Academies Press,…

This paper presents findings from a small-scale research study eliciting students' perceptions of benefits and challenges of working in interdisciplinary groups to solve an engineering challenge using problem-based learning. Penultimate and final year undergraduates and postgraduate MSc students in the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences…

The purpose of this study was to research the impact of classroom group rotation on student participation and collaboration during engineering activities. The action research plan was developed after identifying a need to increase group efficacy in a classroom setting that focuses on projects and problem-based learning and proved quite difficult…

During the last 40 years, problem- and project-based learning (PBL) has been widely adopted in engineering education because of its expected effectiveness in developing students' professional knowledge and transferable skills. With a growing number of PBL researches and practices in engineering education, systematic or meta-analysis reviews were…

This work considers three research objectives: to analyze the perception of instructors of the incidence of PBL/PjBL on content learning and skill development; to identify the success factors that they believe promote learning when using them, as well as their importance; and to identify the difficulties they face, and the frequency with which…

Problem-based learning (PBL) instruction tasks students with solving a real-world, relevant problem and provides a motivating context for learning science content. It also affords a natural opportunity for students to intentionally engage in a variety of engineering practices and components of engineering design if the problem scenario…

Relying on the National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory and National Chemical Design Competition for college students, a multidimensional education mode presented here combines the advantages of problem-based learning (PBL) and "Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate" (CDIO) approaches, while also overcoming the restrictions of PBL and…

Contribution: In this article, integrated problem-based learning and critical reflection are shown to contribute to significant learning experiences, without needing to increase course hours and course assignments. Background: With the advances in technology, such as artificial intelligence, there is a shift in teaching and learning paradigms,…

Contribution: This study explores the elements engineering students perceive as important for developing their learner agency in the context of intercultural project-based learning (PBL) teams. Background: The concept of learner agency has recently gained prominence due to its relevance for student-centeredness, autonomy, self-regulation, and…

Engineering is a practical discipline, dedicated to the solution of problems through the sound application of principles derived from the natural sciences and mathematics. Engineering pedagogy has therefore to balance the need for learners to gain a deep understanding of the theoretical basis of the problem domain whilst grasping its practical…

This study explores engineering students' enactment of collective agency and perceptions of professional identity. Empirical data were drawn from observation and group interviews with 30 engineering students in a civil engineering course using a problem and project-based learning (PBL) approach. Using the technique of quantifying qualitative data,…

Background: Developing self-directed learning (SDL) skills in engineering students is critical to support life-long learning. This research was conducted at Iron Range Engineering (IRE), an innovative, problem-based learning (PBL) engineering program, which has suffused the concept of metacognition throughout its curriculum. Purpose/Hypotheses:…

Background: This paper describes research into two pedagogical approaches to foster transdisciplinarity in a graduate engineering course that involves education and computer science. Leveraging the Communities of Practice framework, we examine how students majoring in computer science can integrate new knowledge from education and computer science…

Despite an emerging emphasis on the role of engineers in achieving the SDGs, there is still a lack of agreement on which competencies should be prioritised to prepare them to tackle future sustainability challenges. By formulating a theoretical framework of key sustainable competencies based on prior studies, this study investigated engineering…

Education for sustainability demands transformative knowledge, which can be obtained through problem-based, project-organized learning (PBL). However, the integration of PBL and sustainability in higher education has not yet met the needs required due to the lack of application of a systemic perspective and strategy. In this literature review, we…