First-year engineering students’ learner agency sources in a systemic PBL environment: a Q study

ABSTRACT

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been implemented with different levels of success in first-year engineering education in response to the rapidly growing requirements for a higher degree of learner agency in graduates. This study is contextualised in a systemic problem-based learning environment and explores the sources of first-year engineering students’ learner agency development in relation to the main features and skillsets of PBL, such as teamwork, student-centredness, problem orientation and project organisation. Q methodology was employed, including both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis based on a 39-statement Q sample and 102 valid Q sorts. The Q analysis identified four statistically distinct viewpoints on the key sources of learner agency for students: (1) Team dynamism and self-directed learning within the project team, (2) Trust and peer support within the project team, (3) Individual efforts at career readiness and (4) Team efforts at project management. The findings highlight the potential of PBL for offering more and better pedagogical support for first-year engineering students in developing learner agency.

KEYWORDS:

• First-year engineering education
• learner agency
• systemic PBL
• Denmark
• Q methodology

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the 2021/2022 cohorts of Global Business Engineering and Mechanics and Production at Aalborg University for their participation in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Niels Erik Ruan Lyngdorf

Niels Erik Ruan Lyngdorf is an assistant professor at the UNESCO Centre for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability (UCPBL Centre), at the Department of Planning, Aalborg University, Denmark. His academic background includes a BA in China studies and anthropology from Aarhus University, and a MA in learning and innovative change from Aalborg University in Denmark. He also received his doctoral degree at Aalborg University on internationalisation of higher education, focusing on intercultural education and competence development as well as development of teaching and learning culture in the context of student mobility. In recent years, he has facilitated Problem Based Learning programs in domestic and international contexts, and researched on PBL training for engineering staff, and digitalisation of PBL.

Xiangyun Du

Xiangyun Du is a professor with a joint affiliation at UNESCO Center for Problem and Project-Based Learning, Aalborg University, Denmark, and College of Education and College of Engineering, Qatar University, Qatar. Having earned her academic degrees in engineering education (master’s degrees at Linko¨ping University, Sweden, and Roskilde University, Denmark, and a PhD degree at Aalborg University, Denmark), she has been committed to research in Teaching & Learning – Innovative Pedagogy (in particular, Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning methodology) – in diverse social, cultural, and educational contexts, including change and innovation in education from an inter/crosscultural perspective, curriculum and pedagogy development, faculty/staff/ teacher development, intercultural learning and teaching, and gender studies. Having won multiple teaching and learning prizes herself, Prof. Du has also been engaged with educational institutions in over 10 countries doing substantial work on pedagogy development. Prof. Du has over 170 relevant international publications, including 10 monographs, over 70 international journal papers (SCOPUS, Web of Science, and SSCI), 15 edited books, and 40 book chapters as well as 50 conference contributions. She has also been actively involved in several international academic programs, networks, and editorial works for journals. Currently, she is also (co)editing a book series for Palgrave and RIVER publishers and serves as an editor of engineering education section for Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education. Her Google profile is available at https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2Lf13qQAAAAJ&hl=en.

Adrian Lundberg

Adrian Lundberg is currently employed as a lecturer at the Department of School Development and Leadership (SOL) and also at the Centre for Teaching and Learning (AKL) at Malmö University, Sweden. He has become an expert in Q methodology to investigate stakeholders’ subjective viewpoints about educational issues at the crossroads of multilingualism, equity and policy. In addition to his experience as a pre- and in-service teacher educator, mainly in the area of language education, Adrian has worked as an educational developer in Switzerland and Sweden. His future research plans include the use of Q methodology as an educational and mediational tool on various levels of education.