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Sustainable Engineering Education: Project-Based Learning, Maker Spaces, and the Development...
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Sustainable Engineering Education: Project-Based Learning, Maker Spaces, and the Development of Professional Skills

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1888

Editor

Dr. Emily J. Cook

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mathematics, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia
Interests: project-based learning and professional skills development in engineering for science students

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, titled, “Sustainable Engineering Education: Project-Based Learning, Maker Spaces, and the Development of Professional Skills.”

The future of engineering demands creative problem solvers capable of tackling complex challenges in a rapidly changing world shaped by emerging technologies, sustainability pressures, and evolving global needs. Educating engineers for sustainable practice requires more than just technical competence; students must be able to work with diverse teams and stakeholders and be equipped with the systems‑thinking skills needed to design solutions that are environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and resilient over time in a constantly changing world. Engineering graduates must be prepared not only to solve technical problems but to operate as adaptable, reflective professionals capable of navigating uncertainty, collaborating across disciplines, and contributing to sustainable and socially responsible outcomes. Employers have also expressed the need for graduates with a range of skills including communication, teamwork, digital capabilities, project management, risk management, ethics, cultural competencies, and data handling and visualisation, but developing and assessing these skills requires pedagogies, practices and physical spaces for learning beyond traditional university lectures and classrooms.

This Special Issue welcomes submissions that explore how professional skills for sustainable engineering can be developed and assessed in engineering students, including but not limited to:

  • Sustainability education in engineering
  • Problem-based and Project-based learning in engineering
  • Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary projects
  • Experiential learning
  • Makerspaces in secondary education as a pipeline into engineering degrees
  • Makerspaces in tertiary education for skills development
  • Identification of future-focussed skills
  • Development and assessment of professional skills for engineers

We welcome you to share this invitation with others who may be interested in these topics.

Kind regards,

Dr. Emily J. Cook
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • engineering education
  • project-based learning
  • problem-based learning
  • experiential learning
  • makerspaces
  • professional skills development
  • practice-based learning

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1796 KB  
Article
Middle School Students’ Interest and Self-Efficacy in a One-Day Informal STEM Learning Experience
by Shaoan Zhang, Emma E. Regentova, Hongming Xu, Venkatesan Muthukumar and Si Jung Kim
Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(8), 1249; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16081249 - 6 Aug 2026
Viewed by 291
Abstract
Informal STEM learning experiences are widely used to promote students’ interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), yet limited evidence exists regarding the educational value of one-day STEM outreach events. This study examined middle school students’ perceptions of STEM interest [...] Read more.
Informal STEM learning experiences are widely used to promote students’ interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), yet limited evidence exists regarding the educational value of one-day STEM outreach events. This study examined middle school students’ perceptions of STEM interest and self-efficacy following participation in NSF STEM Day, a one-day informal STEM learning experience that combined project demonstrations designed by college student mentors with a field-based learning experience at the Museum of Illusions to learn about hands-on robotics, coding, Internet of Things (IoT), and engineering and mathematical concepts. This study explored students’ learning experiences, STEM interests and STEM self-efficacy perceptions, and college student mentors’ reflections. First, participants reported positive learning experiences, and engineering was reported more frequently as an area of STEM interest in the post-survey (38.0%) than the pre-survey (25.6%). Second, they reported positive STEM self-efficacy perceptions in the post-survey. A significant grade-level difference was observed for one STEM self-efficacy item assessing students’ confidence in applying scientific principles, with eighth-grade students reporting higher confidence than sixth-grade students (F(3,26) = 3.76, p = 0.023). Third, qualitative findings showed that college student mentors’ reflections reported positive experiences and valued the opportunity to engage middle school students in hands-on STEM learning activities. The findings contribute evidence regarding the educational value of short-duration STEM outreach experiences for broadening students’ exposure to STEM learning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Engineering Education: Project-Based Learning, Maker Spaces, and the Development of Professional Skills)
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16 pages, 539 KB  
Article
Self-Regulated Learning and Achievement Emotions in an Engineering Emergency Management Module
by Mihwa Park, Changwon Son and Sarah M. Fadillah
Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(7), 1146; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16071146 - 17 Jul 2026
Viewed by 473
Abstract
This study examined engineering students’ intrapersonal factors, self-regulated learning (SRL) and achievement emotions, and their prior emergency, disaster, and crisis management (EDCM) knowledge, within a three-week EDCM module embedded in an engineering course. We collected data at three points during the implementation of [...] Read more.
This study examined engineering students’ intrapersonal factors, self-regulated learning (SRL) and achievement emotions, and their prior emergency, disaster, and crisis management (EDCM) knowledge, within a three-week EDCM module embedded in an engineering course. We collected data at three points during the implementation of the EDCM module N = 53). First, before the module began, students completed a demographic questionnaire, the SRL motivational orientation questionnaire, and an EDCM knowledge pretest. Second, during module implementation, students completed the SRL learning strategy questionnaire. Third, after the module was completed, students completed the achievement emotion questionnaire. We included 53 students’ data and analyzed it using non-parametric statistics. Results showed no significant gender differences in learning strategies or achievement emotions; however, male students’ motivation was significantly higher than that of female students. In addition, significant differences by race were found in motivational orientation, learning strategies, achievement emotions, and prior EDCM knowledge. Motivational orientation was positively associated with positive emotions, particularly enjoyment and pride, and negatively associated with negative emotions. Learning strategies, meanwhile, were primarily associated with positive emotions. Prior EDCM knowledge showed limited associations with intrapersonal factors. These findings highlight the importance of redesigning EDCM instruction in engineering education to be both effective and more responsive. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Engineering Education: Project-Based Learning, Maker Spaces, and the Development of Professional Skills)
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28 pages, 4161 KB  
Article
Teaching Environmental Science Communication: A Multimodal and AI-Enhanced Framework Supported by Applied Case Studies
by Eliana Beghi, Carmela Torelli, Guglielmina Adele Diolaiuti and Antonella Senese
Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 893; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16060893 - 4 Jun 2026
Viewed by 548
Abstract
Environmental science communication has become a core competence for addressing global challenges such as climate change, glacier recession, and hydrometeorological risks. Yet university curricula often prioritize technical knowledge over communicative skills, limiting students’ ability to engage with diverse audiences. This study proposes a [...] Read more.
Environmental science communication has become a core competence for addressing global challenges such as climate change, glacier recession, and hydrometeorological risks. Yet university curricula often prioritize technical knowledge over communicative skills, limiting students’ ability to engage with diverse audiences. This study proposes a structured three-level framework (i.e., micro-, meso-, and macro-communication) for teaching environmental science communication. The framework is explored across six applied case studies, including glaciological thematic trails, dual-training programs, a climate-education game, an international higher-education project, immersive 360° field experiences, and an AI-enhanced scientific exhibition. Drawing on qualitative and descriptive evidence, the cross-case analysis suggests that communication competencies may develop progressively from synthesis and clarity (micro-communication), to multimodal visualization and structured argumentation (meso-communication), to stakeholder-oriented and intercultural dialogue (macro-communication). The findings indicate that multimodal, immersive, and AI-supported approaches may support accessibility, engagement, and inclusivity, while authentic learning environments contribute to the development of transferable communication skills. This study provides an exploratory and practice-based framework that may inform curriculum design and pedagogical innovation, suggesting that communication could be more systematically embedded across environmental science programs in order to strengthen evidence-informed societal engagement and support sustainable environmental governance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Engineering Education: Project-Based Learning, Maker Spaces, and the Development of Professional Skills)
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