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Engineering education and the development of competencies for sustainability

Osvaldo Luiz Gonçalves Quelhas (Laboratory of Technology, Business and Environment Management, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Gilson Brito Alves Lima (Laboratory of Technology, Business and Environment Management, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Nicholas Van-Erven Ludolf (Laboratory of Technology, Business and Environment Management, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Marcelo Jasmim Meiriño (Laboratory of Technology, Business and Environment Management, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Chrystyane Abreu (Department of Industrial Engineering, Federal Center for Technological Education of Rio de Janeiro, Niterói, RJ, Brazil)
Rosley Anholon (Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Materials, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil)
Julio Vieira Neto (Laboratory of Technology, Business and Environment Management, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Leandro Silva Goulart Rodrigues (Laboratory of Technology, Business and Environment Management, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education

ISSN: 1467-6370

Article publication date: 30 May 2019

Issue publication date: 19 July 2019

1485

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to deal with the skills for sustainable development in engineering courses. The main objective is to identify which competences should be developed in these courses to contribute to the resolution of conflicts related to sustainability, as well as the means used by universities for their development.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is divided into two strands: a theoretical and an empirical one. Concerning the theoretical part, the webibliomining method was adopted, to select the articles that were relevant to the theme, and 22 works were selected. Regarding the empirical study, structured questionnaires were applied to 30 specialists in the field, aiming at validating the competencies found in the literature.

Findings

In the literature, eight main competencies required to the engineering professional, related to sustainability, were found. The empirical study showed that some competences are considered more relevant than others by the interviewees.

Practical implications

The competencies verified in the present study and the relative relevance between them found in the empirical study can contribute to the engineering courses that wish to develop the sustainable behavior of the engineers in their professional or daily life.

Originality/value

The originality of the work consists in presenting to engineering students and teachers as well as professionals of the market and the government the competencies that can contribute to the formation of an engineer capable of bringing adequate solutions to the conflicts of sustainability in the twenty-first century. This paper also presents learning teaching methodologies indicated for this purpose. No other works were found with these results.

Keywords

Citation

Quelhas, O.L.G., Lima, G.B.A., Ludolf, N.V.-E., Meiriño, M.J., Abreu, C., Anholon, R., Vieira Neto, J. and Rodrigues, L.S.G. (2019), "Engineering education and the development of competencies for sustainability", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 614-629. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-07-2018-0125

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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