Mahmood Ahmed Hasan

Contribution: This article illustrates a theoretical model and an analytical tool for understanding the influence of diverse elements of the project-based learning (PBL) environment on engineering identity development in students. Supportive elements in three dimensions that contribute to students’ identities as future engineers are identified to inspire the improvement of future PBL design. Background: Prior research has investigated the components and impact factors of engineering identity, emphasizing the importance of understanding engineering identity development in diverse learning contexts. While a wide range of educational activities has been regarded as contextual factors that influence students’ feelings about becoming engineers, it is still unclear what learning elements from the PBL context could contribute to engineering identity development in students, and limited analytical tools are developed from and tested in the PBL environment. Research Question: What elements of the PBL environment contribute to engineering identity development in students from the students’ perspectives? Methodology: Considering the dimensions of internal motivation (IM), competence beliefs (CBs), and external support (ES), a survey was designed based on prior qualitative studies and conducted at a leading Danish university. The survey’s content validity, construct validity, and reliability were tested using expert review, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and Cronbach’s alpha. Findings: Supportive PBL elements for engineering identity development in students were reported in the dimensions of IM, CBs, and ES. Among the three dimensions, IM was identified as the most important for allowing students to develop the feeling that they would become engineers in the future. Comparisons between genders, educational levels, and academic subjects verified the different impacts of the three dimensions on engineering identity development.

Pedagogical beliefs serve as important drivers for teachers’ approaches to implementing innovative learning methods. To promote change in education processes, understanding teachers’ perspectives of their teaching roles and beliefs and how they change in the shift from traditional teaching to constructivist learning in diverse learning contexts, is essential. This study provides an overview of various traditional and constructivist beliefs held by teachers in a South African K-12 institution where project-based learning has been applied at the institutional level. The results indicate that pedagogical development and supportive policy at the institutional level both have a considerable influence on teachers’ changes of beliefs; nevertheless, a sustainable change demands long-term efforts. Proposals for future pedagogical training design are suggested to help teachers move from traditional teaching beliefs to constructivist learning beliefs.

This study investigated primary school teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs regarding online teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic and whether it determines any significant differences in self-efficacy levels based on different demographic data. A quantitative and qualitative survey method was employed. The data was collected from primary school teachers in Qatar public schools using a web-based survey that assessed self-efficacy in three areas: Students Engagement, Classroom Management, and Instructional Strategies. Four open-ended questions were included in determining the challenges faced by teachers, coping strategies, and the support needed and received. A total of 514 teachers voluntarily completed the survey. The results showed that elementary school teachers actively reported self-efficacy beliefs in online teaching. T-test and ANOVA analysis revealed significant differences between primary school teachers’ self-efficacy and years of experience in the three fields. However, no significant differences were found between self-efficacy, gender, and age in the area. Results indicated that the more years of experience teachers have, the more self-efficacy they perceive. The open-ended questions’ results showed that unmotivated students were the most frustrating challenge primary teachers faced in online teaching. Therefore, contacting parents was highly prioritized by teachers for coping with this challenge. Besides, professional training was the main support received, but more practical and interactive workshops are still needed. This research can provide educators with insights on implementing technology effectively in their online classrooms and adapting to challenging times to achieve a smooth and effective learning process.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and universities across the world have had to switch to online learning, which is offered either synchronously or asynchronously. This study examined the role of self-regulation on students’ performance in each of these modes by comparing the use of self-regulation skills between high and low achievers in each mode and assessing the relationships of using these skills with students’ performance. The data were collected from students who enrolled in a data structures course in fall 2020 in either synchronous or asynchronous mode. The results show that self-regulation is an essential factor for learners’ success in both modes of online learning. However, there was a variance of using self-regulating learning strategies between students in synchronous and asynchronous modes.