Search Results for
"Engineering education"

Apprenticeship programs are common practices around the world for training young people for their first experience in the job market. The immense social divide in Brazil led the Federal Government to create the Young Apprentice initiative to assist and protect young people from social risk. Such an initiative aims to allocate adolescents and young people aged between 14 and 24, as well as individuals with disabilities, into the job market. Large and medium-sized companies are mandated to participate. The Information Technology (IT) sector is expected to have an average demand of 159,000 vacancies annually until 2025 in Brazil, where only some programs aim to train the target audience in IT. However, they are superficially technically trained before their first contact with the company, generating insecurity in the apprentice. This paper presents the design of an apprenticeship program focused on IT services, aiming to better prepare individuals in the IT area, including front-end programming. The proposed program includes a selection process by the training entity and an initial technical and behavioral training phase for the participants, followed by a more specific training phase in programming. The program prioritizes socially and economically vulnerable students, aiming to reduce social inequalities. In addition, it meets four Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The first class achieved a 90% approval rate in the initial technical training course, being successfully qualified for inclusion in the IT market. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Agile methodologies are widely used in engineering education to align academic outcomes with industry needs. Embedding Agile as a learning culture requires the pedagogical adoption of its principles rather than reliance on tools. This study examined links between Agile principles, team quality, and professional readiness in vocational software development education, where students often face tight deadlines and limited real-world experience. A pilot framework was implemented across 6 courses at an Indonesian polytechnic (51 students, 9 teams), operationalized around 12 principles over 5 sprints, and evaluated through peer assessments and retrospectives. Team quality was computed using a hybrid metric from Tuckman's stages and Lencioni's dysfunctions; students rated their agility on a 10-point scale. Results showed heterogeneous levels of team quality and principle adoption. A regression model explained a modest share of variance (R2 = 0.26), and the average rank correlation between team quality and principle scores was low to moderate (Spearman's ρ̄ = 0.39). Correlations were stronger for constant pace and self-organizing team and weaker for customer satisfaction and technical excellence. Cultural norms (politeness and hierarchical deference) tempered direct feedback during retrospectives. These findings support the integration of Agile principles into vocational curricula, with attention to local cultural dynamics. © 2025 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

This study evaluates the relationship between soft skills and hard skills readiness among Electrical engineering education students at Universitas Negeri Surabaya (UNESA), Indonesia, addressing the critical gap in quantitative assessment of these competencies within the Indonesian engineering education context amid Industry 4.0 demands. Rationale: The rapid technological transformation of Industry 4.0 necessitates comprehensive readiness assessment frameworks that evaluate both technical proficiencies and transferable competencies, yet existing literature reveals a scarcity of quantitative studies examining the specific interaction between soft and hard skills among engineering students in Indonesia. Methods: Using a causal correlational design grounded in Human Capital Theory and the Integrated Skills Framework, data were collected from 153 third and fourth-year students (95.6% response rate) through stratified random sampling. Two validated instruments the Soft Skills Measurement Instrument (IPSS, 35 items, α = 0.89) and Hard Skills Measurement Instrument (IPHS, 40 items, α = 0.87) were administered. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, MANOVA, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using Jamovi and LISREL software. Results: Professional ethics (M = 81.53) and teamwork (M = 78.91) emerged as the strongest soft skills, while electrical fundamentals (M = 75.47) was the strongest hard skill. Programming demonstrated the lowest readiness (M = 63.51) with highest variability. Cognitive soft skills particularly problem-solving (β = 0.37, p < .001) and critical thinking (β = 0.29, p = .004) significantly predicted technical competence, explaining 46.1% of variance in hard skills performance. Students with internship experience demonstrated significantly higher proficiency across both domains (p < .01). The SEM revealed cognitive soft skills directly influenced all hard skills dimensions (β = 0.39 to 0.53, p < .001), with the model explaining 67.3% of variance in overall workplace readiness. Limitations: The cross-sectional design limits causal inference; the single-institution sample may constrain generalizability to other Indonesian universities. Recommendations: engineering curricula should integrate problem-solving development within technical courses, expand internship opportunities, and strengthen programming instruction. Future research should employ longitudinal designs and multi-institutional samples. © © 2026 JESTP.

Background: Work-integrated learning (WIL) is a pedagogical approach combining classroom learning with practical experience. Despite its growing popularity, there is a need for a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics, trends, and outcomes of intervention studies. Purpose: This systematic review explores the current research on WIL intervention studies, examining publication venues, research aims, methodologies, and outcomes, as well as the implications and challenges. Design/Method: The structured and predefined PRISMA process was used to identify relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, ensuring rigor, precision, and replicability. A typological framework was developed and applied to extract and categorize data from the included studies, which were then synthesized to identify patterns and trends. Results: The review included 22 studies between 2014 and 2023. Although the study quality was generally low across journal articles and conference proceedings, the included studies nevertheless provided essential insights. International interest in this topic is evident, growing, and exploratory, with a potential bias toward individual factors and little consideration of institutional or cultural factors. The methodologies included various approaches, but the lack of unifying frameworks suggests that the outcomes are likely context-dependent. The benefits of WIL were numerous and multifaceted, while the challenges highlighted the complexity institutions and industry partners face. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive overview of current research on WIL intervention studies. The findings highlight the importance of theoretical underpinnings, research aims, and methodologies in WIL research. The results have implications for educators, policymakers, and researchers seeking to improve the effectiveness of WIL programs. © 2026 American Society for engineering education.

Computer numerical control machine tools (CNC) play a crucial role in modern manufacturing and education. However, traditional industrial virtual training is typically a solitary experience, lacking social interaction. While virtual reality (VR) education offers immersive learning, it often limits opportunities for real-world collaboration, potentially diminishing social and cooperative skills. Additionally, group-based training requires numerous devices, resulting in high costs and low efficiency. To address these challenges, we propose a new educational framework: Cognition-Operation-Assessment. This framework introduces a group-oriented, highly interactive, and evaluable mixed reality (MR) system for CNC machine tool education. By integrating collaborative and interactive functionalities, the system enhances the teaching effectiveness of virtual classrooms, surpassing traditional paper-based and single-player MR learning. Its effectiveness has been validated through comprehensive courses and user experiments. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2026.

This article describes the application of the principles of magnetism and motion by working with engineering students at Tecnológico de Monterrey to construct and simulate a Magnetic Linear Motor (MLM) through the Project-Based Learning (PjBL) methodology combined with STEM to facilitate experiential and collaborative learning. PjBL is a teaching methodology that applies learning to real-world problems. This approach is currently being adopted by various educational institutions, which face challenges in using pedagogical methods to foster positive relationships between students and mentors. Three phases can be distinguished in project-based methodology. Commitment: Students are motivated to participate in the importance of an MLM as a device capable of giving motion in one dimension. Research: Students engage in a research project where they design and model their ideas from different areas, such as electromagnetism, differential equations, and programming. Action: Assemble the prototype in the laboratory and evaluate its model. The differential equations of the magnetic force in the MLM prototype are used to determine its kinematic graphs and interpretation. As evidence of learning, students are required to submit two reports that are evaluated using rubrics. © 2026 Sociedad Mexicana de Fisica. All rights reserved.

The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) demands instructional models that effectively bridge theory and practice. This study explores the integration of Project-Based Learning (PBL) with the ADDIE instructional design model in an undergraduate Information Technology Projects course. As a capstone activity, students designed and built a Smart Lamp using an ESP32 microcontroller, sensors, MQTT communication, and a mobile user interface, iterating through ADDIE phases with formative feedback. A mixed-methods evaluation combined SAM-based rubrics, user-experience testing, and self- and peer-assessment (n = 30 students; n = 20 external users). Results indicated strong technical performance (overall M = 4.2/5 across competencies), high collaboration indicators (M = 4.4/5), and positive end-user satisfaction (M = 4.4/5). A nonparametric exploratory comparison revealed no significant differences between students with and without prior IoT experience, highlighting the inclusiveness of the approach. Overall, findings demonstrate that coupling PBL with ADDIE fosters motivation, knowledge transfer, and effective hardware–software integration while providing a replicable structure for IoT education. Implications for course design include aligning learning outcomes with ADDIE phases, incorporating iterative usability testing, and integrating cloud-connected prototypes as authentic assessments for future implementations. © 2026 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Labour productivity has been a critical area of research, particularly in addressing challenges posed by globalisation and Industry 4.0. While the importance of training in enhancing productivity is widely recognised, there is a lack of systematic research that traces evolution, trends, and thematic shifts in this field. This study addresses this gap by analysing a dataset of Scopus-indexed articles spanning from 1971 to 2024, offering an analysis of how training influences labour productivity, based on an extensive bibliometric review. Design/Methodology/Approach — From an initial pool of 1,708 documents, 552 relevant articles were selected for analysis. Through descriptive statistics and bibliometric analysis, the study reveals significant growth in research focused on the multifaceted effects of training on productivity, reflecting sustained and expanding interest in this topic. Findings — The conceptual structure of this field is visualised through scientific mapping, which identifies three primary research clusters: alignment between employer needs and higher education outcomes, core employment frameworks for productivity, and the influence of work-based learning on labour effectiveness. These clusters offer insights into the field’s foundational and emerging themes, illustrating the multidimensional role of training in meeting labour market demands. Publication activity has accelerated markedly since 2007, with 62% of all contributions appearing after 2015. The analysis of country collaboration further shows that the United States, China, and the United Kingdom are leading contributors, while the strongest international ties are observed between the United States and both China and the United Kingdom. Originality/Value — Going beyond previous studies, this research employs bibliometric methods to uncover underlying patterns and trajectories in the literature. The findings provide a roadmap for future research directions, pinpointing key areas for deeper investigation and encouraging interdisciplinary approaches to understand the enduring impact of training on labour productivity. © 2025 World Scientific Publishing Co.

This mixed-methods study investigates the impact of the Science, Technology, engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) method and fifth-semester student engagement on entrepreneurial competencies in the higher education of the makeup and beauty program at Padang State University. Using a convergent parallel design, data were collected from 117 fifth-semester students through questionnaires, interviews, observations, and portfolio assessments. The data were analyzed using Two-Way ANOVA and thematic analysis. The quantitative results revealed that the STEAM approach significantly outperformed conventional methods. Specifically, 83.33% of students achieved excellent leadership scores (M = 89.00, SD = 2.85), and 78.33% excelled in creativity (M = 87.50, SD = 2.98). High levels of engagement (M = 4.33) across behavioral, emotional, and cognitive dimensions correlated with enhanced competencies (p < .001). Qualitative findings indicated increased motivation, collaborative learning through platforms like TikTok Shop, and heightened mental engagement from diverse resources. The interaction between the STEAM and student engagement further amplified outcomes (F = 3.75, p = .025, R² = 0.454). This study highlights the transformative potential of the STEAM method in developing entrepreneurial competencies, underscoring its applicability in vocational education. Educators should integrate STEAM methodologies and digital platforms into their curricula, while future research should examine the long-term impacts and scalability of these approaches. © 2026 The Author(s).

Recently, a strict working definition of information in computer science was proposed. Information is understood as a selected subset in relation to the original set of elements (alternatives, states, outcomes, etc.); in the general case, the selected subset can be fuzzy. The purpose of this study is to create a methodological basis for using the new definition of information in IT education, in particular when studying machine learning technologies and neural networks. In addition, an important methodological issue is considered: the relationship of the new definition of information with another central concept of information theory – diversity. The experience of implementing the new approach is analyzed using the example of a research and educational student project. The project is devoted to forecasting the emergence of evolutionarily stable daily vertical migrations of zooplankton as a result of adaptation to environmental conditions. In this case, external conditions are classified into four classes corresponding to different migration regimes of two age groups of zooplankton. The new approach to the definition of information involves taking into account the objective fuzziness of the boundaries between classes. This in turn leads to the fact that the forecast regarding the migrations is formed with varying degrees of confidence. This approach allows us to avoid unfounded decisions and reduce the number of errors. It significantly reduces the risks of neural network overtraining. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.