Engineering Education Programs Research Articles

A Systematic Review of Engineering Students in Intercultural Teamwork: Characteristics, Challenges, and Coping Strategies

In response to the challenges posed by globalization and internationalization, engineering education programs are increasingly focused on knowledge, technologies, and competence that meet global needs. Against this backdrop, higher engineering students are often encouraged to collaborate in teams with others from diverse, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds, for the purpose of preparing them to accommodate change and innovation across international working contexts. Within a growing number of intercultural systematic and meta-analysis reviews in engineering education, little attention has been paid to intercultural team characteristics, and even less has been given to the challenges of intercultural teamwork and the relevant coping strategies. Using a systematic approach, this paper reviewed 77 journal articles to identify the intercultural team characteristics of engineering students based on team formats, level of collaboration, learning goals, evaluation methods, and learning gains. Through the process of intercultural collaboration, several challenges and corresponding coping strategies were reported at the individual, relational, and contextual levels. Recommendations for future practice for engineering educators and programs faculties, and future research directions for engineering educational researchers, are proposed in order to support engineering students’ intercultural team learning.

Trainers’ Pedagogical Competence in Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutions in Bungoma County, Kenya

Technical trainers’ competencies are essential for success in any career like Technology Education program which centers on skills acquisition among Trainees for production. The objective of the study was to; establish the extent of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) trainer’s pedagogical competence in Bungoma County, Kenya. The study was guided by the Signaling Theory of Learning. The study employed descriptive survey design. The study targeted the 800 trainees enrolled for technical course and 400 trainers in Bungoma Country. Simple random sampling technique was used to arrive at the participants. A sample of 200 trainees and 80 trainers participated in the study. The study used questionnaires and Focused Group Discussion guides and interview to collect data. Test- retest technique was employed to ascertain reliability of the questionnaires at alpha 0.70. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive namely; percentages, frequencies, means and standard deviation and inferential statistics namely; correlation and Pearson coefficient. Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS Version 25.0) was used to analyze data. Qualitative data was recorded, transcribed and reported thematically. The findings were presented using figures and tables. The study found that TVET trainers could effectively communicate with trainees and to somewhat extent, trainers utilized assessment for the benefit of the trainees. However, trainers could to a little extent develop trainees critical thinking skills and trainers were to somewhat extent knowledgeable of current technologies in their areas of specialization. In addition, the study found that majority of the trainers could somewhat extent relate classroom content to workshop experiences. The study found that the strongest positive correlation existed between trainers’ use of practical examples to explain concepts and acquisition of skills among trainees [ r= 0.788, p<0.05]. Other variables that were positively correlated with the outcome variable were; trainers motivated learners [r=0.758, p<0.05], trainers used variety of teaching approaches [r=0.783, p<0.05], trainers used relevant examples [r=0.748, p<0.05] and trainers allowed trainees to design teaching and learning activities [r=0.755, p<0.05].The results for the multiple linear regression model with all the eleven trainers’ pedagogical competence variables that were statistical correlated with the outcome variable produced an adjusted R-Square of 0.481, F (11,177) = 1.862, p<0.05. The study recommended that there was need to enhance the TVET trainers’ pedagogical competence and there was need to increase government capitation to TVET to assist them acquire training material and equipment that support more practice based learning.

Development and Effect of ‘Energy Engineering’ Unit Engineering Education Program in High School Engineering General Subject

이 연구의 목적은 고등학교 공학일반 과목의‘에너지 공학’단원의 공학교육 프로그램을 개발하고, 그 효과를 알아보는 데 있다. 이 연구의 목적을 이루기 위해, 2015 개정 교육과정 및 교과서, 선행연구를 고찰하였으며, 준비, 개발, 개선의 3단계에 따라서 공학교육 프로그램을 개발하였다. 개발된 프로그램은 전문가 및 현직교사를 통해 타당성 검토를 받았으며, 고등학교 공학일반 과목을 수강하는 3개 고등학교 225명의 학생을 대상으로 예비 현장 적용을 통해 프로그램 적용의 가능성과 효과성을 확인하였다. 이 연구의 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 공학일반 과목 ‘에너지 공학’단원 공학교육 프로그램은 에너지 공학의 원리를 이해하고, 그 원리가 응용된 사례를 탐색하고 체험하기에 적합했으며, 현장 적용성이 높았다. 둘째, 공학일반 과목 ‘에너지 공학’단원 공학교육 프로그램은 총 8차시로 구성되어 있으며, 이론 수업 4시간과 문제해결 활동 4시간으로 총 8차시로 구성되어 있다. 하지만 단위학교의 교육과정에 따라 확장이 가능하도록 구성하였다. 셋째, 참여 학생의 공학에 대한 태도는 프로그램을 받기 전보다 받은 후 통계적으로 유의미하게 향상되었다. 넷째, 참여 학생을 대상으로 프로그램에 대한 개방형 설문조사를 실시한 결과 에너지 공학 관련 최신 기술과 경향을 배울 수 있었다는 응답과 센서를 이용한 도시 설계 과정에서 에너지 공학의 필요성을 알 수 있었다는 의견이 있었다. 마지막으로 공학일반 과목에 활용할 수 있는 공학 프로그램의 개발과 기술교과 선택과목이 운영되고 있는 고등학교 수업 현장 및 기술교사에 대한 후속 연구를 제언하였다.The purpose of this study was to develop an engineering education program for the ‘Energy Engineering’ unit of the engineering general subject in high school and to investigate its effectiveness. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, the contemporary curriculum, textbooks, and previous studies were reviewed, and an engineering education program was developed by the three stages of preparation, development, and improvement. The developed program was reviewed for validity through experts and in-service teachers, and effectiveness of the program implementation was confirmed through field implementation targeting 225 students from three high schools taking high school engineering general subject. The results of this study are as follows. First, an engineering education program in ‘Energy Engineering’ of the engineering general subject was suitable for understanding the principles of energy engineering, exploring and experiencing cases where the principles were applied, and had high field applicability. Second, the developed program consists of a total of 8 sessions, having 3 hours of lecture class and 5 hours of problem solving activities. However, it is possible to expand by the curriculum of each school. Third, the participants’ attitude toward engineering had statistically significant improvement through the intervention. Fourth, as a result of conducting an open survey on the program for participants, there were responses that they were able to learn the latest technologies and trends related to energy engineering, and opinions that they were able to know the necessity of energy engineering in the process of urban design using sensors. Lastly, for the dissemination of the developed program, the necessity of training for technology teachers and further research on engineering general subject teachers were recommended.

The Development of Teaching Material for Blended Learning: A Strategy to Improve Students’ Creativity and Innovation in the 21st Century

The study aims to develop a blended learning design to optimize the Microteaching subject in the Educational Technology program. The development method implemented here was the Integrative Learning Design Framework (ILDF), which consists of three stages: exploration, formulation, and evaluation. We used the PEDATI model to design synchronous and asynchronous learning activities in the formulation process. The research outcome is a prototype of blended learning material for microteaching subjects integrating face-to-face and online learning. Validation by an expert in media, learning design, and material shows that it is in a good category. Besides that, the N-gain score of 0.7 indicated that the 21st-century skills students must possess include teaching creativity that can be learned through blended learning. A proper learning model supports an effective and efficient learning process. The research findings can be used to design blended learning design in the future to create a more innovative and interactive learning process.

System-thinking progress in engineering programs: A case for broadening the roles of students

IntroductionComplex systems are prevalent in many scientific and engineering disciplines, which makes system thinking important for students of these fields. Duchifat 3 is a unique engineering educational extracurricular program, where high school students designed, assembled, and tested a nano-satellite.MethodsThis study applied qualitative methods to explore how the participants’ systems-thinking developed during the program. Participants were interviewed using the repertory grid interview, and a semi structured interview at the beginning and at the end of the project, while various observations were conducted throughout.ResultsWhile the participants were initially assigned narrow roles, each dealing with a single sub-system of the satellite, some chose to be involved with other sub-systems and aspects of the project. Our findings show that the broader the participants’ involvement was, the greater the progress they experienced in their systems-thinking. Participants who stayed focused on a single subsystem did not show progress, while participants who involved themselves with several sub-systems exhibited a more meaningful progress.DiscussionAlthough the program design aimed to assign students to a narrow role to enable them to achieve the educational goals, from the perspective of systems-thinking this was counterproductive. These findings shed light on the design of engineering programs such as the one examined here in terms of systems-thinking development. We discuss the implications of the findings for similar programs and make suggestions for improvement.

Development of video control system training stand

The article focuses on the process of teaching students technical aspects of video surveillance systems in the course "Technical Means of Security". The main attention is paid to the methods of developing professional competencies related to installation and configuration of equipment, mastering video surveillance software and mastering the application of facial recognition technologies. The article describes laboratory work in detail, starting from the theoretical basis laid at the beginning of the course to practical skills such as connecting cameras, configuring programs and creating databases for identifying individuals. The learning process includes preparation and analysis of theoretical material, performance of laboratory works, as well as testing and evaluation of the obtained results. The result is to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of video surveillance systems and practical skills relevant for their future careers in security and use in everyday life. The research methodology in the article combines theoretical learning and practical laboratory work. It includes the steps of connecting video monitoring cameras, configuring software and facial recognition algorithms. Students gained experience with real equipment and programs, which contributed to deep learning of the material and development of practical skills. The scientific novelty of this article lies in the integrated approach to teaching students how to use video surveillance systems, including technical aspects of connecting the equipment, configuring software and face recognition algorithms. This approach provides not only theoretical training, but also practical mastery of skills, which is innovative in the context of security technology education programs. The findings of the article emphasize the importance of practical training in student learning. It is shown that real-life experience with equipment and programs significantly improves the quality of education and readiness of students for future professional activities. The article emphasizes that modern education in the field of security systems requires the integration of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, thus providing comprehensive training of specialists in this important and relevant field.

Interest in Students' Entrepreneurship Building Engineering Education Program

The purpose of this study to determine the interest in entrepreneurship and factors inhibiting entrepreneurship for students. The study was conducted on Education courses State University Of Medan Building Engineering, Faculty of Engineering in 2019. The research method is a method of ex post facto. The sampling technique is purposive random sampling and using Taro Yamane formula. Sample of 118 students who have attended entrepreneurship courses. The instrument used was a closed questionnaire Likert scale with a reliability coefficient of 0.90 and for the deepening of the data used an open questionnaire. The data analysis technique used descriptive statistics. Results found is the tendency of student interest in entrepreneurship Building Engineering Education courses classified as high category (66%), and 2.54% of the students have entrepreneurship. The high interest in entrepreneurship students also reflected on the desire of students to start college entrepreneurship (20.34%). Nevertheless, interest in entrepreneurship students of Building Engineering Education will remain a concern professors and functionaries in the Faculty of Engineering make efforts to increase student interest in entrepreneurship because there is still a 34% student interest in entrepreneurship classified as a low category. The results of this study are very beneficial to universities and professors to improve the quality of teaching entrepreneurship courses.

<p>Critical Incidents in Ways of Experiencing Ethical Engineering Practice</p>

Background: Ethics is a required outcome for engineering education programs, but few studies focus on how workforce experiences lead to changes in how engineers experience ethics in practice. By identifying what incidents influence the ways that engineers come to experience ethical engineering practice, we can more effectively design post-secondary pedagogy based on these experiences. Purpose: We address the research question, “What types of critical incidents influence engineers’ ways of experiencing ethical engineering practice?” By identifying and categorizing critical incidents, we aim to provide the engineering education community with strategies and stories that they can embed in post-secondary engineering ethics curriculums. Design/Method: We employed a semi-structured interview protocol to solicit experiences with ethical engineering practice among 43 engineers from a variety of engineering disciplines and who were all currently working in the health products industry. While the interviews focused on ways of experiencing ethical engineering practice, many participants discussed critical change-inducing incidents therein. Thus, we used critical incident technique to identify and synthesize influential workforce experiences in their ethical practice. Results We identified 106 critical incidents, or workforce experiences that led to a change in how engineers viewed or practiced ethical engineering. We grouped incidents into 17 critical incident types, which represent patterns of events or behaviors that led to a change or reinforcement in ethical practice. We grouped incident types into five categories: (1) Cultural Immersions, (2) Interpersonal Encounters; (3) Ethical Actions, (4) Ethical Failures, and (5) Mentorship Events. Conclusion: This study can inform educational change efforts by ensuring that such efforts are grounded in and based on the lived experiences of practicing engineers. We found that Cultural Immersions was the most prominent type of critical incident among participants, and thus we emphasize the import of supporting student awareness of organizational culture, including how it informs one’s ethical views and practices. Based on the range of incident types, we also emphasize how instructors might consider and build the multitude of incident types and categories to implement pedagogy aligned with workforce experiences.

PENGEMBANGAN BAHAN AJAR DIGITAL PADA MATA KULIAH PEMBELAJARAN BERBASIS KOMPUTER DIPRODI TEKNOLOGI PENDIDIKAN FAKULTAS ILMU PENDIDIKAN UNIVERSITAS NEGERI MAKASSAR

This research is a development research that produces a product so that it can improve quality, innovation and support the completeness of learning infrastructure using an R&D (Research and Development) approach. This study aims to 1) analyze the level of need for computer-based learning digital teaching materials, 2) determine the level of validity of computer-based learning digital teaching materials, 3) determine the practicality of computer-based learning digital teaching materials. This research was developed using a 4D model (Define, design, development, disseminate). The research was conducted in the Educational Technology program, Faculty of Education, Makassar State University. The subjects in this study were 2 validators, namely, content and media validators, 15 students of educational technology, and 1 lecturer who was influential in the subject. Collecting data using a needs identification questionnaire, content and construct validation questionnaire, media validation questionnaire, student response questionnaire and lecturer responses questionnaire. The results of content and media validation are in very good qualification. Practical trials were carried out with two user targets, namely the student's response was in very good qualification and the response of the influential lecturer was in the very good qualification as well. Based on the results of the analysis, it can be concluded that digital teaching materials for computer-based learning courses are valid and practical])

Profile of Planned Happenstance of Student Skills Based on Gender, Age, Regional, and Ethnicity

This study aims to determine the Planned Happenstance Skill Profile of students of the Faculty of Education, the State University of Makassar based on study program, gender, region, and ethnic origin. This research uses a descriptive quantitative research type. The research subjects were 355 students spread across the Guidance and Counseling, PAUD, PGSD, PLS, Educational Technology, and Special Education study programs. The research instrument used instruments prepared by KIM etc using JASP showed that the reliability test by looking at the McDonald's value of 0.905 and Cronbach's alpha with a value of 0.907 and the validity of the analysis using a confirmatory factor analysis test, the validity test of the CMIN / DF value showed a value of 3246.919/231 with a significance of 0.01, or < 2.0 see the value of CFI: 0.955, TLI: 0.947, GFI: 0.919 and data analysis using ANOVA. The study results show that the Planned Happiness Skill of the Faculty of Education's students is in the very high category. The gender aspect indicates that there is no difference in student career planning seen from the gender variable, this is evidenced by p> 0.05. However, this is different from the aspect which shows a p-value <0.01, and a mean square of 17.114. So, based on these data it can be interpreted that there are significant differences in the aspects of student curiosity in career planning by chance seen from their gender. In September, age shows that there are no planned differences in student careers seen from various ages, this is evidenced by p> 0.05. Furthermore, on the aspect of regional origin, it shows that there is no difference in students' planned happenstance career seen from the regional origin variable as well as in the ethnic aspect, there is no difference in students' planned happenstance career. Furthermore, the results of the descriptive analysis seen from the study program aspect show that the Planned Happenstance Career Inventory of education faculty students is in the high category

Moving lab‐based in‐person training to online delivery: The case of a continuing engineering education program

AbstractBackgroundOnline learning has recently surged due to the COVID‐19 global pandemic. Because of the pandemic, many universities were forced to move to online learning, and various online teaching and learning environments emerged, both asynchronous and synchronous.ObjectiveThis study explores how a large university in the Southeastern United States of America converted an in‐person Lean Manufacturing professional course into synchronous online learning for industry participants.MethodThe study analysed the performance of 212 in‐person and 43 online industry participants and examined the views of online participants about the training. Paired t‐tests, one‐way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), and univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were utilized to evaluate the performance of the in‐person and online groups on the three competencies (Lean culture, problem‐solving and Lean systems).Results and ConclusionBoth online and in‐person programs performed equally well in two Lean Manufacturing competencies: Lean systems and problem solving. The online program outperformed the in‐person program in the third competency, Lean culture. Overall, the participants had a positive experience with the structure and organization of the online program, and their impression of the online learning environment for the program was positive. The study findings indicated that Lean Manufacturing could be trained effectively online and in person. Best practices are suggested for the conversion of in‐person to synchronous online engineering continuing education programs.

Integration of Excel VBA with professional software for the structural analysis and design of civil structures

AbstractA feasible combined approach between structural analysis program (SAP) 2000 and Excel software is proposed in this article to develop customized numerical tools for the analysis of civil engineering structures. For such scope, the Open Application Programming Interface from SAP 2000 software is linked to the Visual Basic for Application (VBA) environment embedded within Excel. Three computer applications resembling industrial situations related to size optimization of trusses, soil−structure interaction in buildings, and automatic design of reinforced concrete slabs are presented. As the tools are parameterized, students can observe the effects of the various parameters on the output response of the structures because geometry, loading, and material properties can be easily varied. As the main concern is the educational aspect, the novelty of this research is to present the proposed combined approach in a stepwise manner with explained codes. The source codes of the developed tools are made freely available so that the applicants can modify them according to their priorities. The tools present a friendly user interface that made them attractive to use in daily design tasks at the office, but certainly, they are the result of the integration of student knowledge as part of a bachelor's dissertation in an undergraduate civil engineering educational program. The tools have been preliminarily introduced into a reinforced concrete course at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), searching for a better understanding of theoretical concepts, while integrating technology into the classroom and reducing time constraints as new configurations for the studied structures can be easily explored during class.

Reassessment of petroleum engineering education: Is it the end of an era or a new start?

Since emerging more than a century ago, petroleum engineering (PE) education has increasingly kept its popularity despite significant downturns in the industry. During these downturn periods, observed at least four times since the 1973 oil crisis, structural changes in university programs have been considered. While experiencing the fifth downturn period over the last five decades, it is time again to ask the same question: “Shall we continue with the same PE education model or radically shift to a new model?” In this paper, after reviewing more than fifty articles published over the last 85 years reporting the attempts made towards reshaping PE education, an option of restructuring PE programs is discussed. This option is less oil industry (and oil prices) dependent and more of a “general” engineering education program with an emphasis on the “geoscience” or “subsurface” engineering aspects of the PE discipline. The viability of the proposed program was discussed from industry, academia, and students’ perspective. Fundamentals are essential in this new program similar to other general (or major) engineering disciplines such as mechanical, civil, chemical, and electrical engineering. The critical elements of engineering skills such as creative design, decision making, problem description and solving, management under high degree of uncertainty, and data collection and processing for optimization are to be included in the new model.

Environmental sustainability in the operating room

BACKGROUND The healthcare industry carbon footprint is 5.2% of total CO2 equivalent emissions worldwide. The operating rooms are the most resource demanding areas in hospital care and the higher energy demands, lack of effective waste management, and inhaled anaesthetic use, lead to a high carbon footprint. There is wide variation in the carbon footprint of inhaled gases, with desflurane ranking 40 times higher than sevoflurane. Other inhaled agents, including N2O and isoflurane, have additional ozone-depleting properties. OBJECTIVE To describe what factors influence the implementation of sustainable anaesthetic strategies. DESIGN An international survey. SETTING Anaesthesia clinicians worldwide between April 2021 and April 2022. PARTICIPANTS One thousand two hundred and thirty-seven anaesthesia clinicians from 75 countries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was a determination of the most used anaesthetic plans among anaesthesia practitioners. Secondary outcomes included an assessment of the influence of various socioeconomic variables on anaesthetic decision-making, and on the level of the practitioners’ awareness of peri-operative environmental sustainability. RESULTS Sixty-four percent of respondents use inhaled anaesthetics on a daily basis, with 83% preferring sevoflurane, and only 5% using N2O regularly. Forty-five percent do not know which halogen gas has the highest carbon footprint. Fifty-one percent do not use low flow anaesthesia regimes (<1.0 l min-1) due to concerns about CO2 rebreathing (30%), hypoxia (25%), compound A related renal failure (12%) or CO generation (10%). Only 15% use minimal flow anaesthesia (<0.5 l min-1). There is a correlation between higher income countries and implementation of more sustainable strategies, probably due to better access to updated technology and sustainability education programmes. Desflurane is used in 6 to 12% of the cases regardless of the GDP index. CONCLUSIONS Halogen gases are the most frequently used anaesthetic drugs worldwide. The majority of respondents are unaware of their global warming impact, or are not influenced in their anaesthetic choices by environmental concerns. More sustainable alternatives of anaesthesia are under-implemented, and vary significantly among countries depending on their GDP index. Further education and training in sustainability is needed.

Functional model of an engineering class at a university

The relevance of the study is based on the fact that the program of socio-economic development focuses on the expansion of science-intensive production focused on information and digital technologies. Therefore, the demand in engineers for modern production becomes the social order of society. The purpose of the study was to develop a functional model of the engineering class at the university. This will create conditions for the training of school graduates aimed at obtaining technical education with a high level of natural science and technological training. The paper is devoted to the problem: what is the functional model of the engineering class at the university? The functional model of the engineering class for high school students includes functional and structural components that ensure the formation of competencies among schoolchildren necessary for a future student mastering an engineering educational program. The following abilities of high school students serve the indicators of the efficiency of the developed model: ability to formulate and argue their point of view; work individually and as part of a team; master information and communication technologies; readiness for continuing education at the university and self-education; possession of the fundamentals of systemic thinking.

Engineering Education Program Initiatives at Metaverse School of Engineering in The University of Tokyo

Engineering Education Program Initiatives at Metaverse School of Engineering in The University of Tokyo

ИННОВАЦИИ В СИСТЕМАХ ВЫСШЕГО ТЕХНИЧЕСКОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ НА СОВРЕМЕННОМ ЭТАПЕ

The study of innovations in the systems of higher technical education of the leading countries of the world in the first decades of the 21st century is due to the possibilities of applying the valuable achievements of foreign pedagogical science and practice in solving urgent problems of domestic higher technical education, searching for ways to improve the quality of training of future engineers in our country. In the course of a theoretical study of the work of national and international accreditation agencies, professional engineering communities and associations to improve the quality of engineering education, it was found that graduates of accredited educational programs of engineering and technical bachelor’s degrees are fully prepared for integrated engineering activities, and master’s degree graduates — for innovative engineering activities. . The main approaches to the organization of education at a higher technical school abroad at the present stage are: traditional education based on a strict disciplinary curriculum, project-based learning, problem-based learning, and learning based on an integrated curriculum used in the CDIO approach, which has become widespread in the practice of higher education. technical school abroad in the first decades of the XXI century. There are features of the CDIO approach to reforming and designing engineering educational programs, innovations in the content of modern educational programs of higher technical education are presented, innovative technologies used in the practice of foreign higher technical schools are analyzed, and the main trends in the development of higher technical education at the present stage are presented.

Lições aprendidas com a pandemia COVID-19 para a melhoria de abordagens baseadas em projetos e serviço: resultados de estudantes de Engenharia

Abstract This paper describes a case study based on the implementation of a project/service-based learning approach in the context of a curricular unit of an Engineering Education programme. It discusses the challenges and pedagogic responses found to adapt the teaching and learning process to the pandemic period, reflecting on the lessons learned to improve project/service-based learning approaches. For data collection, an online questionnaire was applied to students to collect feedback about the effectiveness of the approach adopted. The results from the questionnaire indicate that students considered the alternatives implemented by the professor completely adequate to respond to the COVID-19 constraints. The results from students’ projects revealed that they were able to go beyond what was expected from them, by presenting clear and effective outcomes of the implementation of the project in their own domestic environments. Lessons learned include ways to enhance student learning, drawing on examples from students’ own personal contexts.

Comparative Analysis of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Programs in United Kingdom, United States of America. Japan and Australia

STEM education is an important component for global development, many countries have invested a substantial amount of funds in the Program. Many initiatives, Programs, policies, law are formulated to increases the number of students’ enrolment and arose their interest to study STEM. In this paper, we present the comparative analysis of successful STEM education Programs in United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Japan and Australia. We explored different Programs, target groups, objectives and achievement of STEM in UK, USA, Japan and Australia. For USA, the study found that the STEM education Programs are successful but require the involvement of community elites. In UK, the STEM Education Programs are successful and it assisted the country in adding more curriculum materials and trained several personnel. In Australia, experienced a shortage of scientists and engineers and formulated policies and Programs of which some of these Programs were successful and boost the Australian STEM Education. In Japan STEM education Programs has succeeded in increasing the number of enrolment and interest in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The stake holders, educators and government of UK, USA, Japan and Australia can use our study to easily identify areas that require improvement. As such, adapt their STEM education Programs in such a way that the STEM education Program can further be boosted. 

The Gendering of Technology Education: minority Ethnic Students’ Experiences of a Women-Dominated Vocational Dental Technology Programme

ABSTRACT The gendering of technology-related work and education has spurred a lively debate. While the majority of research assumes that women and minority ethnic groups are under-represented in technology, there is a lack of research on their typical paths and positions in vocational technology education. This intersectional study examines students’ experiences of dental technology, which is a women-dominated study programme in which minority ethnic groups are also well represented. The article identifies a key discourse that the interviewees use in distinguishing dental technology from men-dominated technology education: describing it as detailed work done with one’s hands. The study strengthens existing research on the gendering of technology by providing the first vocational school-based example of how the feminine qualities associated with certain technologies can create a space for feminine identities in technology while simultaneously limiting the technological study programmes considered by women. The study further complements existing research through its intersectional approach, by showing that although feminine images associated with some technology education programmes can attract many women to study these subjects, minority ethnic students might be later excluded from working in related vocations.