An Exploration of Teachers’ Competencies in Interdisciplinary Engineering Education

Engineering education requires competent teachers to facilitate students’ interdisciplinary learning in solving complex problems and engage students in interdisciplinary teamwork. While most studies in the literature have focused on identifying or measuring students’ competencies, few studies have focused on teachers. What teacher competencies are essential for effective interdisciplinary teaching in engineering education? To answer this question and contribute to teacher development and improve student learning, this study analyzes teachers’ competencies in interdisciplinary engineering education. We conducted qualitative interviews with 14 teachers in engineering education with diverse disciplinary backgrounds in engineering, design, technology, science and business. Thematic analysis is used to highlight teachers’ social, affective, and pedagogical competencies. The results show that all three areas of competencies are considered to be essential for teachers. Teachers appear to have a good level of social competency, as they recognize the importance of effective communication with students and co-teachers across disciplines, as well as with industry partners. Teachers also exhibit a decent level of affective competency through their motivation for learning. In addition, we found that the lack of interdisciplinary-related knowledge added more difficulties for teachers to gain pedagogical competency in interdisciplinary engineering education. The results of this study can be used for designing teachers’ professional development programs related to interdisciplinarity.