Sociotechnical Systems in Engineering Education

Dear Colleagues,

Engineering systems are inherently sociotechnical: they are not only shaped by technical requirements, but also by social institutions, human values, and environmental constraints (Johnson & Wetmore, 2021; Hughes, 1983; Jasanoff, 2004). However, engineering education has historically privileged technical rationality, often at the expense of preparing students to navigate these intertwined dimensions (Bucciarelli, 2003; Cech, 2014). This Special Issue, ‘Sociotechnical Systems in Engineering Education’, invites contributions that bridge systems thinking, systems engineering, and sociotechnical engineering education research to advance a more integrative approach to engineering learning and practice. We welcome empirical, theoretical, and design-based studies that examine how students and educators engage with complexity, power, uncertainty, and sustainability in systems contexts (Meadows, 2008; Senge, 1990). Papers might address curricular innovations, pedagogical frameworks, or institutional transformations that include sociotechnical analytics and systems literacy frameworks. By drawing from engineering education, engineering studies, and science, technology, and society, this Special Issue aims to articulate what it means to educate systems engineers who are capable of reasoning across boundaries—disciplinary, organizational, and societal—in pursuit of more resilient, equitable, and sustainable systems.

The proposed special issue, ‘Sociotechnical Systems in Engineering Education’, aligns closely with the journal Systems’ commitment to advancing our understanding of complex systems and their interactions across technical, organizational, and social dimensions. By examining how systems thinking and sociotechnical perspectives can inform engineering education, this Special Issue will extend the journal’s scope from modeling and analysis toward the human and institutional contexts that shape system design and performance. We invite interdisciplinary contributions that integrate systems theory, systems engineering, sociotechnical analytics, and educational innovation to develop more adaptive, equitable, and sustainable approaches to teaching and practicing sociotechnical systems thinking.

References

• Bucciarelli, L. L. Engineering Philosophy. Delft University Press: Delft, 2003.
• Cech, E. A. Culture of disengagement in engineering education. Science, Technology, & Human Values,2014 39(1), 42–72.
• Hughes, T. P. Networks of Power: Electrification in Western Society. Johns Hopkins University Press: Maryland,1983;PP 1880–1930.
• Jasanoff, S. States of Knowledge: The Co-production of Science and Social Order. Routledge: London, 2004.
• Johnson, D. G., & Wetmore, J. M. (Eds.). Technology and society: Building our sociotechnical future. MIT press: Massachusetts, 2021.
• Meadows, D. H. Thinking in Systems: A Primer. Earthscan: London, 2008.
• Senge, P. M. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Doubleday: New York, 1990.

Dr. Desen Özkan
Guest Editor

Dr. Kari Zacharias
Co-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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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 single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Systems 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 2400 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.

• sociotechnical systems
• systems thinking
• sociotechnical thinking
• engineering education
• sustainability
• equity