PROPOSING A STEM EDUCATION MODEL IN HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH UNIVERSITY–INDUSTRY COLLABORATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1075.2026-0066Keywords:
STEM education in higher education, engineering design process, STEM project-based learning, university–industry collaborationAbstract
STEM education in higher education is increasingly emphasized to develop interdisciplinary competencies and students’ ability to solve practical engineering problems. However, STEM implementation in engineering education remains largely theoretical and insufficiently connected to engineering design processes and industry practice. This study reviewed relevant literature and proposed a STEM teaching model integrating engineering design with industry-oriented learning. The model comprises three components: (i) integration of STEM knowledge; (ii) STEM-project-based learning; and (iii) application of the engineering design process based on practical industry requirements. The model was implemented through a “Design of an Electrical Distribution Panel” project with 80 electrical engineering students. Results showed that the mean score increased from 6.2 to 7.8, while the proportion of students achieving good or excellent performance increased from 45% to 72%. More than 80% of students reported positive perceptions of interdisciplinary knowledge application and engineering design competence development. The findings indicate the feasibility of the proposed model in higher engineering education and its potential to strengthen connections between theoretical knowledge and professional practice.
Downloads
References
- Andrews, T. C., Speer, N. M., & Shultz, G. V. (2022). Building bridges: A review and synthesis of research on teaching knowledge for undergraduate instruction in science, engineering, and mathematics. International Journal of STEM Education, 9(1), 66. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00380-w
- Apkarian, N., Henderson, C., Stains, M., Raker, J., Johnson, E., & Dancy, M. (2021). What really impacts the use of active learning in undergraduate STEM education? Results from a national survey of chemistry, mathematics, and physics instructors. PLoS ONE, 16(2), e0247544. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247544
- Atman, C. J., Adams, R. S., Mosborg, S., Cardella, M. E., Turns, J., & Saleem, J. (2007). Engineering design processes: A comparison of students and expert practitioners. Journal of Engineering Education, 96(4), 359–379. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2007.tb00945.x
- Barrasso, A. P., & Spilios, K. E. (2021). A scoping review of literature assessing the impact of the learning assistant model. International Journal of STEM Education, 8(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00267-8
- Carlisle, D. L., & Weaver, G. C. (2018). STEM education centers: Catalyzing the improvement of undergraduate STEM education. International Journal of STEM Education, 5(1), 47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0143-2
- Crismond, D. P., & Adams, R. S. (2012). The informed design teaching and learning matrix. Journal of Engineering Education, 101(4), 738–797. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2012.tb01127.x
- Dym, C. L., Agogino, A. M., Eris, O., Frey, D. D., & Leifer, L. J. (2005). Engineering design thinking, teaching, and learning. Journal of Engineering Education, 94(1), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2005.tb00832.x
- Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410–8415. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111
- Henderson, C., Beach, A., & Finkelstein, N. (2011). Facilitating change in undergraduate STEM instructional practices: An analytic review of the literature. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(8), 952–984. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20439
- Kelley, T. R., & Knowles, J. G. (2016). A conceptual framework for integrated STEM education. International Journal of STEM Education, 3(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-016-0046-z
- Li, Y., Wang, K., Xiao, Y., & Froyd, J. E. (2020). Research and trends in STEM education: A systematic review of journal publications. International Journal of STEM Education, 7(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00207-6
- Manduca, C. A., Iverson, E. R., Luxenberg, M., Macdonald, R. H., McConnell, D. A., Mogk, D. W., & Tewksbury, B. J. (2017). Improving undergraduate STEM education: The efficacy of discipline-based professional development. Science Advances, 3(2), e1600193. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600193
- Reinholz, D. L., White, I., & Andrews, T. (2021). Change theory in STEM higher education: A systematic review. International Journal of STEM Education, 8(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-021-00291-2
- Shadle, S. E., Marker, A., & Earl, B. (2017). Faculty drivers and barriers: Laying the groundwork for undergraduate STEM education reform in academic departments. International Journal of STEM Education, 4(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-017-0062-7
- Shah, R., & Gillen, A. L. (2024). A systematic literature review of university-industry partnerships in engineering education. European Journal of Engineering Education, 49(3), 577–603. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2023.2253741
- Stains, M., Harshman, J., Barker, M. K., Chasteen, S. V., Cole, R., DeChenne-Peters, S., & Young, A. M. (2018). Anatomy of STEM teaching in North American universities. Science, 359(6383), 1468–1470. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap8892
- Theobald, E. J., Hill, M. J., Tran, E., Agrawal, S., Arroyo, E. N., Behling, S., & Freeman, S. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate STEM. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(12), 6476–6483. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916903117
- Winberg, C., Adendorff, H., Bozalek, V., Conana, H., Pallitt, N., & Wolff, K. (2019). Learning to teach STEM disciplines in higher education: A critical review of the literature. Teaching in Higher Education, 24(8), 930–947. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2018.1517735
