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Engineering Students’ Perception of Learner Agency Development in an Intercultural PBL (Problem- and Project-Based) Team Setting | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore

Engineering Students’ Perception of Learner Agency Development in an Intercultural PBL (Problem- and Project-Based) Team Setting


Abstract:

Contribution: This study explores the elements engineering students perceive as important for developing their learner agency in the context of intercultural project-base...Show More

Abstract:

Contribution: This study explores the elements engineering students perceive as important for developing their learner agency in the context of intercultural project-based learning (PBL) teams. Background: The concept of learner agency has recently gained prominence due to its relevance for student-centeredness, autonomy, self-regulation, and collaboration. Certain pedagogical approaches are known to specifically support the development of learner agency, including PBL, in which learners are provided with active, self-directed, and collaborative learning tasks. PBL practice is also increasingly diverse, emphasizing intercultural collaboration in teams. However, learner agency has received little research attention in PBL settings, and even less in intercultural PBL. This study contributes to the existing literature on the development of learner agency in intercultural PBL teams. Research Question: What elements do engineering students consider important for supporting their learner agency development in an intercultural PBL team context? Methodology: Theoretically, learner agency is framed within three interrelated dimensions, namely, intrapersonal, behavioral, and environmental. Based on this framework, a survey instrument with 31 items was constructed and responses were obtained from 310 engineering students. The survey used expert review, student piloting, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and Cronbach’s alpha to test content validity, construct validity, and reliability. The descriptive and demographic statistics were examined through t -test and the analysis of variance test. Findings: Five factors emerged from EFA: 1) interest and motivation; 2) self-efficacy; 3) self-regulated behaviors in teams; 4) team dynamics; and 5) external support. The statistical analysis shows that the interest and motivation factor was perceived by the engineering students as the most important. Furthermore, several demographic variables, including gender, nationality, year of s...
Published in: IEEE Transactions on Education ( Volume: 66, Issue: 6, December 2023)
Page(s): 591 - 601
Date of Publication: 15 May 2023

ISSN Information:

Aalborg Center for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Dan Jiang is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree with the UNESCO Center for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Her research focuses on intercultural learning, first-year adaptability, and learner agency in a PBL context.
Dan Jiang is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree with the UNESCO Center for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Her research focuses on intercultural learning, first-year adaptability, and learner agency in a PBL context.View more
Aalborg Center for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Bettina Dahl received the first M.Sc. (cand.scient.) degree in mathematics from Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, in 1997, and the second M.Sc. degree in educational research methodology from the University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K., in 2000, and the Ph.D. degree in mathematics education from Roskilde University (DK), Roskilde, Denmark, in 2003.
She is an Associate Professor with the UNESCO Center for Problem-Based Learn...Show More
Bettina Dahl received the first M.Sc. (cand.scient.) degree in mathematics from Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, in 1997, and the second M.Sc. degree in educational research methodology from the University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K., in 2000, and the Ph.D. degree in mathematics education from Roskilde University (DK), Roskilde, Denmark, in 2003.
She is an Associate Professor with the UNESCO Center for Problem-Based Learn...View more
Aalborg Center for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Juebei Chen received the master’s degree in higher education from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, in 2018, and the Ph.D. degree in engineering education from UNESCO Centre for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, in 2022.
Her current interests are the learning experience of students, learning outcomes in a PBL context, PBL training for engin...Show More
Juebei Chen received the master’s degree in higher education from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, in 2018, and the Ph.D. degree in engineering education from UNESCO Centre for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, in 2022.
Her current interests are the learning experience of students, learning outcomes in a PBL context, PBL training for engin...View more
Aalborg Center for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Xiangyun Du received the master’s degree in engineering education from Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden, and Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark, and the Ph.D. degree from Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
She is a Professor and the Director of UNESCO Center for Problem and Project-Based Learning, Aalborg University. She has been committed to research in educational transformation through pedagogical change u...Show More
Xiangyun Du received the master’s degree in engineering education from Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden, and Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark, and the Ph.D. degree from Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
She is a Professor and the Director of UNESCO Center for Problem and Project-Based Learning, Aalborg University. She has been committed to research in educational transformation through pedagogical change u...View more

Aalborg Center for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Dan Jiang is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree with the UNESCO Center for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Her research focuses on intercultural learning, first-year adaptability, and learner agency in a PBL context.
Dan Jiang is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree with the UNESCO Center for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Her research focuses on intercultural learning, first-year adaptability, and learner agency in a PBL context.View more
Aalborg Center for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Bettina Dahl received the first M.Sc. (cand.scient.) degree in mathematics from Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, in 1997, and the second M.Sc. degree in educational research methodology from the University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K., in 2000, and the Ph.D. degree in mathematics education from Roskilde University (DK), Roskilde, Denmark, in 2003.
She is an Associate Professor with the UNESCO Center for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Aalborg University, and a Professor of Mathematics Education with the University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. Previously, she was an Associate Professor with Aarhus University (DK), Aarhus, Denmark, working with educational development in higher education in science and mathematics. Before that, she was an Assistant Professor with Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA, working with mathematics teacher training for the secondary level and previously, she was an Advisor with the Norwegian Centre for Mathematics Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Bettina Dahl received the first M.Sc. (cand.scient.) degree in mathematics from Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, in 1997, and the second M.Sc. degree in educational research methodology from the University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K., in 2000, and the Ph.D. degree in mathematics education from Roskilde University (DK), Roskilde, Denmark, in 2003.
She is an Associate Professor with the UNESCO Center for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Aalborg University, and a Professor of Mathematics Education with the University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. Previously, she was an Associate Professor with Aarhus University (DK), Aarhus, Denmark, working with educational development in higher education in science and mathematics. Before that, she was an Assistant Professor with Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA, working with mathematics teacher training for the secondary level and previously, she was an Advisor with the Norwegian Centre for Mathematics Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.View more
Aalborg Center for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Juebei Chen received the master’s degree in higher education from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, in 2018, and the Ph.D. degree in engineering education from UNESCO Centre for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, in 2022.
Her current interests are the learning experience of students, learning outcomes in a PBL context, PBL training for engineering staff, and gender issues in engineering education.
Juebei Chen received the master’s degree in higher education from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, in 2018, and the Ph.D. degree in engineering education from UNESCO Centre for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, in 2022.
Her current interests are the learning experience of students, learning outcomes in a PBL context, PBL training for engineering staff, and gender issues in engineering education.View more
Aalborg Center for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Xiangyun Du received the master’s degree in engineering education from Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden, and Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark, and the Ph.D. degree from Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
She is a Professor and the Director of UNESCO Center for Problem and Project-Based Learning, Aalborg University. She has been committed to research in educational transformation through pedagogical change using problem-based and project-based learning methodology—in diverse social, cultural, and educational contexts. Having worked in fields of development ranging from engineering, STEM, teaching preparation, language teaching, business to health (medicine, dental, and public health sciences) and education. Having won multiple teaching and learning prizes herself, she has also been engaged with educational institutions in over 30 institutions cross countries doing substantial work on pedagogy development. She has over 200 relevant international publications, including ten monographs, over 100 international journal papers (SCOPUS, Web of Science, and SSCI), 15 edited books, and over 40 book chapters as well as over 60 conference contributions. Her research topics included change from an inter/cross-cultural perspective, curriculum and pedagogy development, faculty/staff/teacher development, intercultural learning and teaching, and gender studies.
Xiangyun Du received the master’s degree in engineering education from Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden, and Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark, and the Ph.D. degree from Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
She is a Professor and the Director of UNESCO Center for Problem and Project-Based Learning, Aalborg University. She has been committed to research in educational transformation through pedagogical change using problem-based and project-based learning methodology—in diverse social, cultural, and educational contexts. Having worked in fields of development ranging from engineering, STEM, teaching preparation, language teaching, business to health (medicine, dental, and public health sciences) and education. Having won multiple teaching and learning prizes herself, she has also been engaged with educational institutions in over 30 institutions cross countries doing substantial work on pedagogy development. She has over 200 relevant international publications, including ten monographs, over 100 international journal papers (SCOPUS, Web of Science, and SSCI), 15 edited books, and over 40 book chapters as well as over 60 conference contributions. Her research topics included change from an inter/cross-cultural perspective, curriculum and pedagogy development, faculty/staff/teacher development, intercultural learning and teaching, and gender studies.View more
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