This study explores the effects of a computer algebra system on students' mathematical thinking. Mathematical thinking is identified with mathematical thinking powers and structures. We define mathematical thinking as students' capacity to specialize and generalize their previous knowledge to solve new mathematical problems. The study was…

Integrating climate change education into engineering education is essential to prepare students for an uncertain and problematic future. The waste sector is a major consumer of natural resources and emitter of greenhouse gases, which is why it is a central theme in the training of engineering students. This paper presents the main takeaways from…

This paper describes integrated STEM (iSTEM) education in middle school learning environments. Using an instrumental case study approach, five STEM teachers from four mid-west schools were observed and qualitative field notes were made using Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) (Pibum et al., 2000). The observations were systematically…

Today, problems such as climate change, drought, food crises, and pandemics have once again brought the effective use of natural resources back on the agenda. With STEM + based activities, an interdisciplinary learning approach, students are expected to design a product that will solve a problem from daily life and add value to it. Based on these…

This study investigates and contrasts the final year (capstone) engineering projects at three public universities in Southern Africa: Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), and Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). The research examines their practices, structures,…

Scientific misconduct, leading to the retraction of publications, presents a significant challenge to the progress of societies as it undermines both the scientific reputation and material resources of countries. This study adopts bibliometric analysis and scientometrics approach to examine the characteristics of retracted publications in the…

Teamwork skills are a vital learning outcome in higher education, yet negative interpersonal interactions within teams can diminish students' sense of belonging and inclusion. To address this challenge, the introduction of equity, diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality (EDI&I) topics into course curriculums has been proposed. This study…

Purpose: Biomedical engineering (BME) curricula are necessarily broad and it has been reported that BME students can experience substantial barriers to their career attainment compared to other engineering majors. Methods: Challenges and curricular innovations for addressing industry needs were discussed in workshops held at the BME Education…

Challenge: Courses like introductory calculus are described as "gatekeeper" classes but are required for students across a variety of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. Real applications of mathematics subjects are known to have a positive effect on student motivation and retention. Considering the broad and…

Preschool-age children receive little formal instruction regarding science and engineering concepts. Digital media interventions have been effective in supporting young children's literacy and mathematics skills, but there is little evidence of their efficacy in building science and engineering skills. This article reports on an experimental study…

Social justice considerations are critical in today's engineering education. As an example, access to electricity will be crucial to the development of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by powering essential sectors and services that would yield economic growth and an improved quality of life. Because infrastructure investments are often allocated to urban…

The U.S. must find ways to engage all of its population in advancing scientific and technological work. This must include efforts to admit and educate a more diverse array of students in terms of pre-college opportunity and preparation, as well as provide supportive environments and experiences to help these students succeed. For these efforts to…

Background: Metacognitive processes have been linked to the development of conceptual knowledge in STEM courses, but previous work has centered on the regulatory aspects of metacognition. Purpose: We interrogated the relationship between epistemic metacognition and conceptual knowledge in engineering statics courses across six universities by…

An implementation of the journal club model to develop confidence in academic skills across speaking, writing and integrity domains, as well as socialising journal club members to academia, is reported. A journal club was established in a Foundation Year (Pre-undergraduate) context for ten physical scientists. A mixed-methods approach was used to…

Additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing (3DP) offer unique opportunities for experiential learning and practical application in engineering education. In developed countries, AM is integrated into engineering education to train mechanical engineers. However, existing research has not investigated the integration of AM and 3DP into higher…