Journal of Engineering Education最新文献

{"title":"Making space for expansive thinking in sociotechnical undergraduate discussions","authors":"Fatima Rahman,&nbsp;Kristen Wendell,&nbsp;Chelsea J. Andrews","doi":"10.1002/jee.70082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70082","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>There are increasing calls for engineers to be more socially responsible when designing engineering solutions. For engineering practice to center justice, future engineers must contend with dominant narratives and epistemologies that privilege depoliticization, neutrality, and technical supremacy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study explores how a group of five undergraduate women make space for expansive thinking—rethinking the inclusion of different social, political, and economic factors—during a computational modeling task in an introductory engineering computing course. We highlight the epistemological uncertainty experienced by the students during their expansive sociotechnical discussion.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This research is part of a larger project redesigning a first-year computing course to include more critical consideration of social and political issues. In this qualitative case study, we analyze recordings of an in-class sociotechnical discussion and stimulated recall interviews with four focal students, focusing on both the in-class discursive moves and their reported individual experiences.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We identify five space-making moves that helped students in rethinking what to include in their computational model: (1) highlighting contextual differences, (2) acknowledging tensions, (3) agreeing to try, (4) putting forward some possibilities, and (5) explicit reframing to simultaneously include multiple aspects. These moves were accompanied by epistemological uncertainty, as students wrestled with what counts as valued engineering practice.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50206,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Engineering Education","volume":"115 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149048185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineering curricular analytics as complex systems: Introducing, modeling, and empirically testing the sociotechnical curricular complexity (STCC) framework","authors":"Mohammed A. Alrizqi,&nbsp;Allison Godwin","doi":"10.1002/jee.70081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70081","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Engineering curricula are often treated as linear pipelines, yet they function as complex sociotechnical systems. Prior curricular analytics research has primarily focused on structural features such as prerequisite chains, which explain little about variation in outcomes and limit targeted curricular reform.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study introduces the Sociotechnical Curricular Complexity (STCC) framework, integrating three interdependent layers: curricular architecture (CA), learning-experience quality (LEQ), and individual-level (IL) factors. Using single-institution data, we test whether this multidimensional approach predicts program outcomes more reliably than structural baseline metrics.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methodology/Approach</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We compiled institutional records, degree plans, and course evaluations from seven engineering and computer science programs (<i>n</i> = 13,878). Using linear mixed-effects models for Grade Point Average (GPA) and regression models for Time-To-Degree (TTD), we developed a composite scoring approach to quantify sociotechnical complexity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings/Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>For GPA, STCC-based models explained 20% of variance through fixed effects and 58% through fixed and random effects, compared to near-zero and 39% for the baseline; for TTD, they explained 22% versus &lt;1%. The framework also showed that complexity is driven by different layers across programs—structural rigidity in some, learning quality and IL factors in others—rather than any single dimension.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Framing curricula as complex sociotechnical systems reframes research and practice in engineering education. Conceptually, it advances curricular analytics by linking complexity to systems-design perspectives. Methodologically, it offers a transferable framework for quantifying complexity more holistically and for identifying specific leverage points for intervention to reduce unnecessary complexity, ultimately promoting equitable outcomes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50206,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Engineering Education","volume":"115 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148994027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transfer composition: An exploration of transfer student access in engineering","authors":"Dustin M. Grote,&nbsp;David B. Knight","doi":"10.1002/jee.70080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70080","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Bolstering transfer pathways within engineering has the potential to expand and diversify the engineering workforce. This manuscript investigates the extent of stable accessibility of transfer enrollments in undergraduate engineering, a preliminary step for institutions seeking to be receptive of transfer students.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We examine the landscape of access for transfer students in engineering at 4-year institutions by analyzing enrollment rates of engineering transfer students relative to the broader engineering student enrollment (i.e., developing a transfer composition dataset).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design/Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We characterize transfer enrollments with a new variable that examines transfer student enrollments as a proportion of institutions' broader enrollments. We compare rates across 135 institutions in the United States and then link transfer composition with a series of state-, institution-, college-, and student-level variables to interrogate variation between institutions in providing stable access to engineering transfer students.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Transfer students accounted for as little as 1.1% to as much as 57.5% of institutions' new students entering engineering and varied based on a variety of factors including selectivity, Carnegie classification, undergraduate enrollment, land-grant status, and institutional control.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Institutions high in transfer composition in engineering are, in general, not the highest-ranked engineering programs. We make recommendations to policy and institutional leaders while making more transparent what engineering transfer access looks like. With this manuscript, we provide this new national-scale dataset of engineering transfer student composition across institutions as well as providing a systems-level analysis of variables that relate to engineering transfer student composition.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50206,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Engineering Education","volume":"115 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jee.70080","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148942687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond parents and educators: Older siblings as influential figures in nonformal engineering contexts","authors":"Amber Simpson,&nbsp;Sawsan Werfelli,&nbsp;Kelli Paul","doi":"10.1002/jee.70083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70083","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Given the growing need for a well-prepared engineering workforce, strategic investments must extend beyond formal education to include nonformal learning environments. While prior research highlights the role of parents, educators, and mentors in shaping young children's engineering development, siblings remain an understudied yet influential force.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study examined older siblings' roles when interacting with their younger siblings on engineering design tasks within two nonformal learning environments—home and an afterschool program. These interactions occurred during naturalistic environments, void of adult guidance and presence.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using a naturalistic exploratory approach, we examined the interactions of six sibling pairs. We collected and analyzed approximately 13 h of video across the two nonformal learning environments.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Siblings enact a variety of interaction strategies and roles that shape joint engagement in engineering practices differently. While some roles overlapped with those in the literature, we observed roles unique to siblings and young learners. The most frequent roles observed were colleague/peer, lead engineer, and provocateur. However, even rare roles and interaction strategies were found to support engineering practices.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study highlights the potential of sibling interactions as a meaningful component of engineering learning; integrating engineering activities for siblings could leverage natural social and learning relationships to support siblings' development and growth as engineers.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50206,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Engineering Education","volume":"115 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jee.70083","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148943458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"“It's not a bug, it's an undocumented feature”: Identifying and classifying problems in engineering education","authors":"Walter C. Lee,&nbsp;Alexandra Coso Strong,&nbsp;Jillian Seniuk Cicek","doi":"10.1002/jee.70077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70077","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50206,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Engineering Education","volume":"115 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148753258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Theory and theoretical framework use for engineering education research: A systematic review of undergraduate disability research in the United States","authors":"Mariel A. Pfeifer,&nbsp;Ariel Chasen,&nbsp;Maura Borrego","doi":"10.1002/jee.70078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70078","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Use of theory is a quality marker in engineering education research. However, it can be challenging to select an appropriate theoretical framework and explicate how that framework was used.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using undergraduate STEM disability research as an example, this systematic review develops a framework of theory use in engineering education research. We sought to understand what theoretical frameworks have been used, how frameworks are implemented, and what opportunities exist to strengthen use of frameworks.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We identified 101 articles, conference papers, and dissertations reporting on undergraduate STEM disability studies conducted in the United States since 2005. We coded their theoretical frameworks on two dimensions: (1) thematically, by framework genre, and (2) whether the framework primarily informed the overall framing of the study, research methods, or an educational intervention.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We identified 12 genres of theoretical frameworks, the largest of which were universal design; motivation, identity and advocacy; and critical theories. Most studies used these frameworks to frame the entire study (<i>N</i> = 64), while fewer primarily informed methods (<i>N</i> = 15) or an educational intervention (<i>N</i> = 22). While a few theoretical frameworks were used exclusively for methods (e.g., grounded theory) or interventions (e.g., instructional frameworks), most framework categories spanned multiple usage types.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We call for more explicit labeling of framework use in future work to support common understanding of how frameworks are selected, synthesized, and applied in engineering education research studies. We also encourage researchers to use anti-deficit frameworks as research about STEM undergraduates with disabilities evolves.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50206,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Engineering Education","volume":"115 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jee.70078","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148753155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Making sociotechnical doable: Cross-disciplinary translations into engineering education","authors":"Desen S. Özkan,&nbsp;Kari Zacharias,&nbsp;Marie Stettler Kleine","doi":"10.1002/jee.70076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70076","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Engineering education research (EER) increasingly invokes the “sociotechnical,” yet the term travels across science and technology studies (STS), engineering studies, and EER in uneven ways. As EER faces shifting political and institutional pressures, understanding how concepts migrate across disciplinary boundaries offers insight into how research problems are constructed, legitimized, and made actionable.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This paper examines how the concept of the “sociotechnical” has traveled from science and technology studies (STS) and engineering studies into engineering education research (EER), and how it has been translated into “doable problems” that help shape EER.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We conducted a three-part, mixed-methods study: (1) a citation analysis in Scopus to identify highly cited sociotechnical-focused engineering education works; (2) a genealogical analysis to trace theoretical and epistemic lineages; and (3) a conventional content analysis of citing articles to examine how sociotechnical is used, transformed, and operationalized across the field.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Three highly cited works—Cech &amp; Sherick (2015), Leydens &amp; Lucena (2017), and Trevelyan (2019)—construct different orientations toward sociotechnical: critique of engineering culture, justice-oriented curricular formation, and workplace-centered sociotechnical competencies. Citing literature translates these framings into doable problems such as inclusion, justice, and workforce preparation. Across contexts, sociotechnical becomes increasingly narrowed into measurable skills or curricular modules.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Sociotechnical functions as a boundary object whose flexibility enables cross-disciplinary translation but also risks flattening critical, historical, and political dimensions. We argue for treating sociotechnical as an open site of negotiation—one that sustains reflexive, critical engagement rather than reducing complexity to assessable competencies.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50206,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Engineering Education","volume":"115 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jee.70076","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148616695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Achieved, in progress, deferred: Sociocultural conditions shaping Latinx students' engineering identity","authors":"A. Lili Castillo,&nbsp;Dina Verdín","doi":"10.1002/jee.70075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70075","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Developing an engineering role identity is a dynamic process influenced by expectations and environmental factors. Existing literature highlights the link between a strong engineering identity and students' persistence, major choices, and sense of belonging. Still, little is known about how sociocultural contexts shape Latinx students' temporal positioning of their engineering identity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study examined how sociocultural factors temporally shape Latinx students' identity development, whether they saw themselves as engineers in the present or were in the process of becoming one.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design/Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using a developmental phenomenographic approach, this study draws on two rounds of semi-structured interviews with 15 Latinx students across three Hispanic-Serving Institutions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Students' engineering role identity was characterized through one of three temporal positions: present-oriented, liminal, and aspirational. Students with present-oriented identities displayed confidence in their engineering abilities through academic performance, access to meaningful hands-on experiences, and their ability to leverage strategies that mitigated notions of marginalization. Those with liminal identities leveraged coursework and meaningful hands-on experiences to see themselves as engineers in the present, but at the same time, were faced with barriers like negative faculty interactions and gendered racism, which stunted the development of a fully present-oriented identity. Those with aspirational identities cited needing to complete specific career milestones, a lack of meaningful hands-on experience, and instances of misrecognition that stunted a present-oriented identity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study expands our understanding of engineering identity as a developmental process and provides practical strategies to better support Latinx students with liminal and aspirational identities.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50206,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Engineering Education","volume":"115 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148616465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vertical alignment as a systemic strategy for sustaining workforce-aligned K–12 engineering initiatives: A collective case study of district-wide microelectronics integration","authors":"Greg J. Strimel,&nbsp;Victoria Constantine,&nbsp;Deana Lucas,&nbsp;Emily M. Haluschak,&nbsp;Yubin Lee,&nbsp;Morgan M. Hynes,&nbsp;S. Selcen Guzey,&nbsp;Tamara J. Moore","doi":"10.1002/jee.70074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70074","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In response to the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, a K–12 workforce development initiative was launched to embed microelectronics education across US school districts. To promote sustainability, the initiative employed a district-wide vertical alignment strategy that progressively integrates microelectronics content and engineering-related career experiences from kindergarten through high school. While vertical alignment is often used for curriculum planning, its broader potential as a systems-level strategy remains underexplored.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study investigated how vertical alignment functions within a K–12 engineering workforce development initiative, focusing on enablers/barriers toward expanding and sustaining integration efforts. The research questions addressed stakeholder experiences with the alignment process and how microelectronics instruction/curriculum developed across schools, grades, and disciplines.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design/Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A collective case study was conducted across seven school districts. Data included semi-structured interviews with educators and leaders, district-level planning documents, and process evaluation surveys. Thematic analysis examined patterns of district readiness, stakeholder engagement, leadership dynamics, and external facilitation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The vertical alignment process served as both a curriculum synchronization tool and a coordinator of strategic levers for promoting systemic change. It revealed instructional gaps, promoted collaboration, and fostered scaffolded progressions from engineering exposure to career readiness. District plans emphasized coherence, career relevance, and cross-disciplinary integration. Leadership and external facilitation were identified as critical supports.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Vertical alignment at the school district-scale can function as a practical systems-level strategy for embedding workforce-aligned content into educational practice in more lasting ways. Lessons from this study offer actionable insights for better sustaining engineering and technical workforce initiatives at scale.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50206,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Engineering Education","volume":"115 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jee.70074","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148615784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transactional schooling and consequential learning: The dual object model of engineering department culture","authors":"Lorena S. Grundy,&nbsp;Milo D. Koretsky","doi":"10.1002/jee.70072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70072","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>For organizational change efforts targeting propagation of reform teaching practices in university engineering education to succeed, there is a need to understand the interacting cultural systems governing teaching and learning. Previous studies have typically foregrounded either faculty, student, or classroom culture.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We propose a cultural model based on third-generation cultural-historical activity theory to account for the complexity of interacting faculty and student activity systems across scales. This model can help educators understand the factors influencing engineering teaching and learning.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design/Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In a two-year ethnography, the first author participated in a chemical engineering department at a research-intensive university, serving as an instructor, attending community meetings and events, and interviewing subjects. Through the data collected, we analyze department and classroom activity systems to develop and illustrate key elements of the cultural model.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We find that faculty and student subjects exhibit a dual object, simultaneously pursuing both <i>transactional schooling</i> and <i>consequential learning</i>. This finding suggests that rather than eliminating transactional schooling, we need to understand how transactional schooling and consequential learning interact. To that end, we identify contradictions between this dual object and other aspects of the nested activity systems. Classroom-level activity systems are entangled, with students carrying cultural practices from one course to another.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In charting a path toward consequential learning, leaders should consider the dual object of activity through a systems lens spanning multiple scales. This cultural model can provide instructors and students with the support they need to productively resolve systemic tensions impeding their progress.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50206,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Engineering Education","volume":"115 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148462722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}