Southern Journal of Engineering Education
The Southern Journal of Engineering Education (SJEE) is a scholarly forum for the publication of original research that is relevant to the international engineering education community and is indexed by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The journal is ‘southern’ in that it values critical perspectives on the unique challenges facing engineering education in South Africa and the Global South. The SJEE is an open-access publication that promotes the development of high-quality scholarship through a supportive peer-review process.
Reconstructing the Engineering Student Culture by Promoting Student Wellness
Poor success and high attrition rates among engineering students at South African UoTs (universities of technology) require urgent, systemic intervention. Traditional curriculum reforms have failed to address the underlying cultural and mental health challenges that normalise chronic stress and discourage help-seeking behaviours. This study investigates the impact of a faculty-led wellness intervention as a strategy for improving academic performance and student retention within engineering education. The intervention is grounded in Ubuntu philosophy, which promotes interconnectedness and community well-being, and bioecological systems theory, which highlights the influence of social and institutional environments on individual development. These frameworks guided the design of wellness strategies that addressed both interpersonal and systemic barriers to student success. We evaluated the intervention’s effectiveness at a South African UoT using a mixed-methods case study. Student attendance and performance trends were tracked between 2022 and 2024, focusing on a high-risk first-year module with approximately 70 students per cohort. At-risk students who were identified by assessment marks ≤45% or attendance ≤ 65% were offered structured academic and wellness support. Pre- and post-intervention data were compared using HEMIS (Higher Education Management Information System) records and statistical analysis of pass rates and attrition. Following the 2024 intervention, the module demonstrated a 35% increase in success rates and a 50% reduction in year-on-year deregistration. Among students who participated in the intervention, 27% passed the module, and 66% of those achieved distinctions. These findings suggest that culturally grounded faculty-led wellness programmes can meaningfully improve student outcomes while challenging traditional engineering education norms.
Copyright (c) 2026 Witske Meyer, Sally Ledwaba https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
PLS-SEM Analysis of University–Industry Collaboration Drivers in South Africa’s Built Environment Sector
University–industry collaboration (UIC) is essential for bridging the gap between academic research and practical innovation, particularly in developing economies. This study investigates the key drivers and outcomes of UIC within South Africa’s higher education and industrial context, with a specific focus on professionals in the built environment disciplines. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the study examines the influence of five exogenous constructs—Governmental Support and Policy Environment (GOV), Organizational Design and Institutional Capacity (ORG), Technology Transfer and Innovation Ecosystems (TECH), Collaborative Networks and Social Capital (NET) and Knowledge Transfer Mechanisms (KNOW)—on UIC strength and four performance outcomes: Innovation and Creativity, Skill Development and Graduate Employability, Knowledge Creation and Transfer and Research Impact on Local Industry. The research was conducted in the Gauteng Province, South Africa’s economic hub and a key center for construction and infrastructure development. A survey instrument was administered to 204 professionals across academia, government and industry sectors engaged in built environment fields. The findings revealed that GOV, TECH and KNOW are the strongest predictors of UIC effectiveness, while ORG and NET exhibited moderate influence. In turn, UIC strength significantly enhanced all four higher education performance outcomes, with particularly strong effects on innovation and graduate employability. This study contributes novel insights by centering built environment professionals, an often-overlooked stakeholder group, in the UIC discourse. It concludes with policy and practical recommendations for promoting inclusive and sustainable UIC frameworks aligned with national development priorities.
Copyright (c) 2026 John Ogbeleakhu Aliu, Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke, Andrew Ebekozien, Clinton Aigbavboa, Oluponmile Olonilua https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Fostering Entrepreneurial Mindsets in Engineering and Science Education: A Comparative Study of Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Namibia
The integration of entrepreneurship into engineering and science education is critical for equipping graduates with the necessary skills and mindset to thrive in today's competitive landscape. This study examines the current state of entrepreneurship education within engineering an science programs in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Namibia, highlighting the challenges and opportunities unique to each context. In Kenya, a significant gap exists between the skills imparted in technical education and the entrepreneurial competencies required for self-employment, exacerbated by high youth unemployment rates (Kahando & Mungai, 2018). Similarly, in the DRC, internal migration and social capital have been shown to influence youth entrepreneurship, yet formal education often lacks a focus on entrepreneurial skill development (Kiuma et al., 2020). Namibia presents a different scenario, where the need for a structured approach to entrepreneurship education is evident, as many engineering graduates are ill-prepared to navigate the entrepreneurial landscape (Andalibi, 2019). This paper proposes a framework for integrating entrepreneurship into engineering curricula across these countries, emphasizing the importance of experiential learning, collaboration with industry, and alignment with national economic goals. By fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, engineering programs can better prepare graduates to contribute to economic development and innovation in their respective regions.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mbela Kalengay https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Engineering Capstone Projects: Student Motivation in Selection and Impact of Allocation Procedures
The engineering capstone project is a crucial bridge between academia and practice, enabling students to demonstrate graduate-level competencies, with the project topic central to students’ experiences. In the South African context, these projects are typically conducted individually and driven by faculty research interests. This study explored students’ motivation in topic selections using a qualitative survey of current final-year students together with a review of the impact of alternate allocation systems through a quantitative analysis of five years of historical project selections. Findings show that students’ choices are primarily driven by affective factors such as personal interest, confidence, excitement, and engagement. Prior academic performance showed only a weak correlation with capstone performance, raising caution to the validity of its use as a key criterion for allocation. Student satisfaction was deemed highest when they received one of their top-choice topics, while staff satisfaction was linked to balanced student ability across supervisors. Comparisons of allocation methods suggest that systematic approaches based on academic performance result in lower satisfaction for both students and staff compared to optimisation procedures. The study recommends offering a diverse range of topics incorporating meaningful connections for students and prioritising interest-based allocation over academic metrics.
Copyright (c) 2026 Talia S. da Silva Burke, Karin Wolff https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring the applicability of Tronto's Ethics of Care in First-Year Engineering Education
In this article, we examine the different ways in which instructors implement and promote care in their teaching in a first-year foundations of engineering course. Using a case study based on a large engineering program at a research-intensive United States (US) university and informed by Tronto’s ethics of care framework, this article identified innovative actions and behaviours that instructors have used in their classrooms. Through in-depth interviews and class observations with three instructors, we identified behaviours fitting each of Tronto’s four ethical elements, including being attentive to students, taking responsibility for meeting their needs, being competent, and understanding how students are responding to their teaching, by being responsive. For example, being available and in close proximity to the students by walking around the classroom, as well as conducting ‘check-ins,’ are examples of strategies satisfying the attentiveness element. The responsiveness element had the greatest number of distinct strategies identified. Based on student evaluation data, we were able to show the ways in which students valued these behaviours. This study outlines a comprehensive list of specific teaching behaviours and techniques that engineering educators who want to improve their teaching practices and student outcomes can use to successfully implement care in the classroom.
Copyright (c) 2026 Siddharth Sunil Kumar; Jennifer M. Case, Homero Murzi, Michelle Soledad (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A study of naval architecture and marine engineering higher education to build a foundation of future engineering managers in the South African maritime industry
The maritime industry is inherently global, with seafarers and expatriate skilled engineering graduates employed worldwide, away from the places they grew up and obtained their specialist qualifications. Consequently, any higher education qualification in the maritime sector must ensure that graduates are equipped to compete internationally for employment opportunities, and be prepared for the engineering challenges of the future.This paper presents a study on the naval architecture and marine engineering (NAME) higher education in South Africa and compares it to three international marine education universities. A qualitative content analysis methodology was employed to analyse the module content of each international institution. Patterns that emerged from the analysis were used to compare against the curriculum of the current Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Marine Engineering degree programme that is offered by the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa (since 2018).The analysis of the international programmes identified 18 themes that a quality NAME programme should encompass to meet the academic requirements for the future engineers in the global maritime sector. The study recommends the addition of a 4th year honours degree and a 5thyear taught master’s degree to the existing three-year undergraduate Bachelor degree in Engineering Technology in Marine Engineering. The proposed curriculum, unique in the South African Higher Education environment, will enable graduates to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the ‘design, development and operational evaluation of self-propelled, stationary or towed vessels operating on or under the water, including inland, coastal and ocean environments’
Copyright (c) 2023 Howard Theunissen, Theo van Niekerk, Jan Harm Pretorius https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Enhancing Engineering Education in the Global South: the impact of peer-led tutoring systems on student learning and resilience
Peer-led study groups have increasingly gained attention as a strategy to enhance student resilience and improve academic outcomes. In the Global South, where socio-economic challenges and limited resources often hinder student success, such interventions are critical. Despite the growing interest in collaborative learning, there is limited research on how these systems influence student resilience, particularly in environments that emphasise Ubuntu values of mutual support and interconnectedness. This study fills that gap by critically examining the role of peer-led study groups in high-impact engineering modules. Focusing on the experiences of students navigating complex academic challenges, it explores how these tutoring systems foster resilience and create supportive learning environments. Drawing on Relationship-Resourced Resilience (RRR) Theory, which highlights the importance of social connections in overcoming adversity, the study employs a qualitative methodology to analyse student feedback from interviews and focus groups. The findings illustrate the transformative potential of peer-led groups in creating an inclusive, supportive educational environment that goes beyond traditional lecture-based approaches.
Copyright (c) 2023 Jessica Versfeld, Talia Burke, Reginald Kanyane https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Transforming embedded systems education: The potential of large language models
This conceptual article delves into the potential benefits, challenges, and future directions of how educators might adapt practices to accommodate the use of AI tools, using Large Language Models (LLMs) looking at embedded systems education as a case study. Drawing on literature pertaining to embedded systems education and the associated challenges, a new way of approaching embedded systems education is suggested, where students and LLMs are co-creators, working together to solve a problem. This article proposes that AI technologies have the potential to improve the productivity of students as they learn to program and that LLMs can be leveraged as personal tutors, facilitating adaptive tuition. The role of educators remains crucial in this process as students still require scaffolding and guidance on prompting LLMs. This article suggests that educators have different options when considering how to teach embedded systems with LLMs present, by changing the emphasis of teaching to focus on the process of learning and understanding and using constructive alignment of learning activities and assessment with the new goals. This promises to be an exciting avenue of research going forward.
Copyright (c) 2023 Christos Pietersen; Renee (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Refinement of the Student Success Reflection (SSR) Module: Enhancing Academic Resilience through Informed Interventions
This paper examines the strategic refinement of the Student Success Reflection (SSR) Module, focusing on its impact on at-risk students in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment, and Information Technology (EBIT) at the University of Pretoria (UP). Following a 2023 pilot, the module was refined in 2024 based on Root Cause Analysis (RCA), targeting foundational academic challenges faced by students at risk of academic exclusion. The SSR Module, with its mandatory participation, provides structured support to students struggling with foundational courses, particularly calculus. The study explores how this strategic intervention, through academic advising frameworks, addresses key themes related to academic resilience, such as time management, university workload adjustment, and escalating mental health challenges. The refined SSR Module contributes to improved student success by promoting a culture of support, offering practical resources, and encouraging student engagement with academic advising services.
Copyright (c) 2023 Jessica Versfeld https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Learning to build institutional capacity through knowledge-based partnerships between universities and industry: lessons for engineering ecosystems from computing in Kenya
Two of the main challenges facing engineering ecosystems in Africa are 1) enabling universities to produce more high-quality research, and 2) creating more linkages between universities and industry to ensure that research is used, and that highly skilled workers have appropriate knowledge and training. But how can we understand knowledge-focused linkages between universities and industry in relation to other capacities and capacity building efforts within engineering systems? What are the challenges and benefits of building these linkages, and what processes and practices lead to lasting partnerships? We address these questions for the case of computing and information technology in Kenya. Our analysis comes from a three-year project which created and evaluated industrial studentship and fellowship programmes that involved partnerships with companies. University–industry linkages can be understood as an aspect of institutional capacity: a concept that refers to a range of capabilities – important across engineering ecosystems, but especially for universities – that enables production of high-quality and locally relevant research and contributes to the professional development of graduates. Other interrelated aspects of institutional capacity include mechanisms to support acquisition of funding; norms of mentorship, peer support, and scholarly communication; and structures that enable researchers to balance research and teaching. Our data reveal that while some of these capabilities are weak or missing in the Kenyan computing ecosystem, intermediary organisations can act as knowledge brokers to build linkages and facilitate learning between universities and industry. However, these linkages must be built alongside other dimensions of institutional capacity, especially social components like mentorship and peer-to-peer learning.
Copyright (c) 2023 Matthew Harsh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Engineering practices observed in South Asia
The development of engineering skills in Africa could be improved by learning from experiences in South Asia where research has exposed significant weaknesses in the engineering education ecosystem. Research has shown how socio-technical interactions that involve collaborations with other people dominate the work of professional engineers. In contrast to wealthy, developed countries, societies in the Global South are often characterised by complex patterns of social behaviour where perceived reputation, socio-economic status, caste, tribal identity and language strongly mediate power structures and hence collaborative performances such as engineering. In addition, several environmental factors such as the local economy and business practices, labour market, education, weak social security, low trust in strangers, climate and geography all influence the ways that engineers practice in their firms. These factors, coupled with pragmatic responses within firms, and knowledge gaps such as incomplete perceptions on labour costs, make it much harder for engineers in South Asia to generate similar levels of performance as in wealthier countries. Engineers’ salaries and the cost of engineered goods and services of equivalent performance and quality may serve as objective indicators of engineering performances. This paper concludes with suggestions for engineering educators in the Global South to help a greater proportion of engineering graduates to become competent novice engineers in local enterprises with these socio-cultural and economic complexities.
Copyright (c) 2023 James Trevelyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Leverage points in engineering ecosystems: student industrial secondments in East Africa
While the relative shortage of engineering practitioners in Africa has been reported as a major obstacle on the road to development, a significant number of existing engineering graduates still find it difficult to find employment in engineering fields. This dichotomy may be partially explained by the inability of local industries to absorb more skilled labour; a relative deficit (real or perceived) in the competency of local graduates in the ever-advancing areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and/or a scarcity of opportunities to hone and demonstrate their competency to employers. To address the challenge of competency deficit, this study postulated that promoting effective engineering student industrial secondment (SIS) activities can be a leverage point in the engineering ecosystem by strengthening the linkages between engineering education, practice and employability. The study surveyed the history of engineering practical training in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, complemented with a pilot study of four long-term, employment-like SIS placements in Tanzania and Rwanda. The main objective was to observe closely, trial potential models, and learn from and synthesise effective SIS experiences. The study found similarities across the countries regarding experiences with student practical training models, their challenges, and the perspectives of stakeholders. Findings also support that longer durations of SIS placements than currently practised help increase the employability of engineering students. However, in view of the small number of placements, further evidence is called for.
Copyright (c) 2023 Gussai Sheikheldin https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Employers’ perspectives on employability skills and attributes of mining engineering undergraduates in South Africa
There is an increasing demand for universities to produce work-ready graduates in the mining sector. Universities and industry therefore acknowledge the need to support graduate employability through various strategies that focus on theory-practice integration. Mining engineering undergraduate programmes offered in South Africa furnish students with knowledge and skills that enable them to effectively transition to the workplace. This signifies the valuable employability skills and attributes which are highly sought after in the workplace. This article presents data based on interviews with employers in the mining industry. The paper draws from Kolb’s experiential learning theory which provided an analytical lens for the study. The article presents findings on the following themes: development of reflective learning experiences; enhancing workplace experience through work-integrated learning (WIL); development of employability skills; and university and mining company partnerships. In conclusion, this qualitative study on employers’ perceptions regarding the attributes of mining engineering undergraduates may play a significant role in understanding the mining sector’s contribution to fostering employability among students.
Copyright (c) 2023 Paul Dipitso https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Leveraging the engineering ecosystem to prepare TVET graduates that the South African manufacturing industry needs
This study investigates the claims in literature that South African TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) colleges, a key component of the engineering ecosystem, fail to produce graduates who meet industry requirements. A Likert-scale questionnaire was developed and deployed to manufacturing businesses in South Africa. The results confirm the proliferation of negative perceptions of TVET graduates in South Africa. Advanced statistical analysis and simulation techniques applied to the data confirm the key latent variables impacting the sector as graduate capability, technology, curriculum innovation, technical skills, soft skills, business performance, employability, and graduate turnover. Furthermore, a systems dynamics model was developed based on the causal relationships of observable variables constituting the university–TVET–industry nexus of the engineering ecosystem. The simulation results reveal significant potential for growth in new business activity and employment for TVET graduates. This could be achieved by facilitating collaboration across the engineering ecosystem. Thus, business input into curriculum development would be increased, universities would contribute to curriculum innovation and evolution, and soft skills would be enhanced for both new and existing graduates.
Copyright (c) 2023 Arnesh Telukdarie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring how Ethiopian women students perceive a sense of belonging in engineering higher education
In this study, we explored four undergraduate engineering women students’ sense of belonging to their engineering major, engineering college, and university in Ethiopia. Specifically, we explored how engineering women students perceived their sense of belonging to the engineering program and how the perceived sense of belonging impacted their academic participation and experience. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study through narrative interviews, thematic analysis, and a ‘sense of belonging’ lens to guide the study. Findings indicated that two participants who chose the engineering major themselves felt a sense of belonging to engineering, one who was assigned to engineering by the government did not feel a sense of belonging to her major, and one had partial belonging. The students indicated that having the autonomy to choose a major of their interest affected them in many ways: their motivation, persistence, performance, experience, sense of belonging, and whether to stay in the profession post-graduation or not. The Ethiopian government may need to prioritize making engineering a safer and more inclusive space where students of all genders feel they belong before forcing more women into the major. Furthermore, findings suggest the Ethiopian Ministry of Education might consider allowing the autonomy and agency of women students in choosing their major and/or university as they can make pragmatic decisions of what to study, where, and for what purpose.
Copyright (c) 2023 Nadia Kellam, Jemal, Dr. Jennings, Sultan Bedane Halkiyu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Impact of curricula on student learning: a comparison of six chemical engineering programmes in three Washington Accord countries
Despite homogenisation due to accreditation requirements, there remain significant variations in day-to-day structuring of engineering curricula. This article shows these variations, and their influence on students’ learning experiences, in three Washington Accord countries – England, South Africa, and the United States. The curricular parameters that we focus on include weekly contact hours, curricular rigidity, and the structure of the first year of the degree. Findings obtained through an analysis of undergraduate handbooks, weekly timetables of the different courses, and student interviews suggest considerable differences across the engineering programmes along these parameters, both within and across national boundaries. A high contact time, particularly in the South African programmes we studied, limits students’ capacity to self-study and participate in extra-curricular activities. In contrast, programmes that we studied in the US and England, which offer more opportunity for electives, allow students to diversify their skillsets but potentially prevent them from acquiring discipline-specific engineering competency. Finally, we noted variations in the structuring of the first year of the degree. Where a programme introduces a significant number of courses specific to chemical engineering from the first year, students tend to build an early understanding of the discipline, while limiting their capacity to change majors.
Copyright (c) 2023 Ashish Agrawal, Johnson Carroll, Margaret Blackie, Kayleigh Rosewell, Nicole Pitterson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Reconceptualising teaching portfolios for professional development in engineering education
A teaching portfolio is a collection of texts and materials that are intended to represent teaching practice. Many institutions require candidates applying for tenure, ad hominem promotion, or teaching excellence awards to submit a teaching portfolio as part of their application. Building a teaching portfolio engages candidates in reflection on their practice and has been shown to enhance teaching practice. However, less is known about how the socio-cultural contexts of different disciplines and fields shape the representation of candidates’ teaching practice. To address this gap with regard to engineering education, the teaching portfolios of engineering lecturers applying for tenure, promotion, and awards at four different universities were studied, guided by the research question: How does the social context of a teaching portfolio impact the representation of teaching practice? The study found that the social context strongly influenced representations of practice. In the portfolios submitted for tenure or promotion, candidates obscured their teaching practice and instead foregrounded departmental goals or other official documents. In contrast, the award applicants provided detailed, reflective descriptions of their practice. These findings have implications for how engineering educators could be holistically supported towards enhancing their teaching practice, and its representation, in developing portfolios for tenure, promotion or awards.
Copyright (c) 2022 Christine Winberg https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Decolonising an engineering curriculum through a community-driven design project
Following the student-led protests under the umbrellas of #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall, several South African universities made efforts to transform their curricula to make them more relevant to a diverse student population. To this end, the research site for this study, a research-focused historically English-language university, revamped an existing project done by second-year students in their undergraduate chemical engineering programme. This article presents the application of a decolonisation framework to the revised project. Details about the project implementation were collected in the form of the project brief and the six tasks given to students; and semi-structured interviews were conducted with one course lecturer and one tutor. These details were supplemented with inputs from two authors involved in the project design and delivery. The article demonstrates that an engineering design project can be decolonised by increasing its relevance to the local context, valuing student voices in project design, providing opportunities to students for critical reflection, critiquing the existing engineering knowledge, and designing the project to be community-driven. The article specifically highlights the inadequacy of the existing engineering techniques for application in small-scale community-level projects, thus underlining the need for a broadening of engineering knowledge.
Copyright (c) 2022 Ashish Agrawal, Hilton Heydenrych, Genevieve Harding https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Engineering Education Research for educational change: the possibilities of critical realism for conceptualising causal mechanisms in education
Engineering Education Research (EER) grew in prominence from the late 1990s as purposes for this field were espoused in relation to the necessity of change for engineering education in the newly globalising world. Arguments centred on overall challenges with recruitment to engineering, specifically in relation to historically underrepresented populations, as well as with the forms of education (both in terms of quality of teaching and relevance of curricula) offered to students, and the needs of employers as reflected in newly-emerged global accreditation systems. In a field that is at least partly directed towards educational change, there is a need to understand how change typically happens in education systems. This article first draws on findings from the sociology of education to show that causality in relation to educational change is complex. It then turns to the philosophy of critical realism for a way of thinking about change that can inform EER, and concludes by outlining how this might change the research questions that drive the field, and how these might be approached.
Copyright (c) 2022 Jennifer Case, Margaret Blackie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Evaluating and Publishing Curriculum Development Activities
This article is a reflection on the evaluation of curriculum development activities, drawing on the experience of having led a major cross-departmental curriculum reform, as well as having reviewed a significant number of manuscripts as the editor-in-chief of an engineering education journal. It aims to highlight some of the potential pitfalls in the design of curriculum development evaluations, especially when the intention is that such evaluations should be presented for publication.
Copyright (c) 2022 John E. Mitchell https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0