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This research aims to present a conceptual model for construction management programme curriculum development from the perspective of higher education institutes (HEIs) and aims to engender wider polemic debate and stimulate new insight into current higher education practice.

The overarching epistemology adopts both interpretivist and pragmatist philosophical stances, couched within grounded theory, to critically analyse extant literature on construction management curriculum development. Inductive reasoning forms the basis of new emergent theory that maps curriculum development and highlights the external and internal factors impacting upon such.

Research findings illustrate that the prevailing body of knowledge lacks a cohesive nucleus of research on construction management curriculum development. Rather, bespoke curriculum development research predominates in uncommunicative silos. Premised upon these findings, the conceptual curriculum model developed defines and delineates the universal internal factors (e.g. student marketplace, course leadership and academic precedents) and external factors (e.g. accreditation, construction industry and professional bodies) that impact upon curriculum development. Identification of these factors provides a sound basis upon which further research can be propagated to enhance curriculum development and unify the current disparate approaches adopted.

This novel research highlights the lack of a cohesive agenda for curriculum development within mainstream construction management literature and based upon this, a conceptual model for future empirical analysis and testing is presented.

The aim of this paper is to describe the research and process used to develop a curriculum design guidance model that can be used to develop a sustainability literate construction curriculum in higher education.

A comparative study between the UK and Australia was undertaken. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected in both countries and then analysed to determine what was needed to develop an appropriate model for curriculum design within construction education. Various areas regarding curriculum assessment were considered in order to provide an insightful and comprehensive model for curriculum design.

The results indicated that the UK and Australia do not differ significantly with regards to best practice in curriculum design.

The subsequent model can be used by academics to integrate more opportunities for sustainable literacy into construction courses. The proposed model has the potential to be used interchangeably within both countries and possibly beyond.

The paper addresses the need for academia to assess the level of environmental knowledge that they disseminate to students as an integrated part of their overall degree rather than at a modular level.

This research presents a profile of the current skills and competencies that underpin construction management programmes' (CMP) curricula within United Kingdom (UK) higher education institutes (HEIs). In doing so, the work: synthesises disparate taught provisions across a range of HEIs; conducts a cross-comparative analysis between these provisions and engenders wider discourse and new insight into the consistency of current higher education practice.

Both interpretivism and pragmatism are adopted to analyse secondary data sourced from construction management undergraduate programmes in the UK inductive reasoning and inferential analysis (i.e. quantitative rank correlation, text/data mining and qualitative inquiry) are utilised to help underscore the current technical and interpersonal skills and competencies noted within the programmes and develop new theories on curriculum shortfalls and inadequacies.

Research findings demonstrate that the specific content of CMP are bespoke and tailored by the programme teaching team at each individual HEI; albeit, all programmes reviewed are in congruence regards the importance of broad technical and interpersonal themes. However, the degree to which these themes are publicly presented differ from the curricular and institutional documentation; specifically, a more “technical-based skill” image is being portrayed publicly whilst “interpersonal skills” are doing the heavy curriculum lifting. Hence, the foundational curriculum skills and competencies are firmly rooted in a sense of employability and career preparedness; a balance of technical and interpersonal skills. Identification of these skills and competencies provides a springboard for supplementary research to augment curriculum development.

This research constitutes the first attempt to conduct a cross-comparative analysis of descriptive metadata contained with curriculum development documents sourced from various UK HEIs. Emergent findings unearth the key skills and competencies that serve as the curriculum's foundation but also question whether a more consistent approach to construction management education should be sought.

The built environment is responsible for approximately 40% of the world’s energy consumption, 30% of raw material use, 25% of solid waste, 25% of water use, 12% of land use and 33% of greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, environmental improvement and decarbonization are becoming increasingly critical objectives for the construction industry. Sustainable construction can be achieved through several practices, including: considering life-cycle assessment, circular construction, resource efficiency and waste management and providing eco-efficient materials, reducing energy demands and consumption and incorporating low-carbon technologies and renewable energy sources. To achieve sustainable construction goals, it is critical to educate the future workforce about decarbonization, circular construction and how to overcome the challenges involved in transitioning to sustainable construction. This study aims to understand the gap in student knowledge related to decarbonization and circular construction and the importance of incorporating these topics in civil engineering and construction management curricula.

This study surveyed 120 undergraduate and graduate students at one of the largest minority-serving institutions in the USA to understand the gap in student knowledge related to decarbonization and circular construction as well as the importance of incorporating these topics in civil engineering and construction management curricula. The authors conducted several statistical measures to assess the consistency, reliability and adequacy of the sample size, including the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling adequacy, the normality test to evaluate the appropriateness of using an ordered probit regression analysis and a multicollinearity test to observe the correlation between independent variables. The data was analyzed using ordered probit regression analysis to investigate the need for a curriculum that serves in educating students about decarbonization and circular construction.

The results of this research highlight the gaps in students’ knowledge pertaining to sustainable practices and the importance of providing future construction workforce with such knowledge to tackle global inevitable challenges.

The findings of this study contribute to sustainable construction bodies of knowledge by advocating for a reformed curriculum to prepare the future workforce and adopt less carbonized, more circular approaches within the engineering and construction industry.

With the rapid development of the Chinese economy and society, the number of international schools in China has increased sharply. As a core part of school quality, the curriculum development in international schools is facing a series of challenges due to the changing requirements from both the government and the market. In order to better understand the current practices of curriculum development in these international schools in China, this study adopts Tyler’s and Gu’s curriculum theories to design a questionnaire to collect data from 104 international schools national-wide. In addition, a semi-structured interview for teachers and principals was also conducted in nine international schools in five different cities in China.

The findings show that most international schools aim at cultivating “global citizens” or “leaders and elites.” In China, most schools attach importance to foreign language teaching, and most courses are offered in English. Group work, inquiry and discussion, and project-based learning are frequently adopted in international schools. The findings also show there is a strong integration of “Chinese culture” and “global vision,” and schools generally try to balance the two aspects. Some schools rely heavily on foreign curriculum resources, and are in urgent need of capacity building in term of curriculum development based on Chinese policy, market demands and their school realities. Compared with developed countries, international schools in China endorse the new mission, mixing the requirements of modernization and globalization at the same time. Therefore, how to reconstruct a Chinese neo-modern curriculum system is the fundamental challenge for all international schools in China.

This paper seeks to analyse the hypothesis that sustainability is destined to become the operating paradigm for construction education in the UK.

An international literature review is used to assess the relationship between sustainability and the built environment. The viewpoints of the construction‐related professions are examined by analysing the accreditation policies of key professional bodies and through a survey of public sector‐based UK building professionals. International and national policy initiatives on educating for sustainability are reviewed and a survey of UK universities delivering construction degrees is used to explore the environmental content of construction courses. A brief case study describes recent efforts to systematically embed sustainability within construction education.

The sustainability agenda and construction are intricately linked. The rationale, therefore, for embedding sustainability within the construction curriculum is powerful. Strong policy drivers for embedding sustainability in the curriculum also exist, but the response from construction educators is thus far patchy. However, the case study demonstrates that integrating sustainability issues within construction courses is readily achievable.

The findings will influence policy decisions taken by educators and professional bodies seeking to respond to the fast‐developing sustainability agenda.

This research demonstrates the rationale for systematically embedding sustainability within the construction curriculum to the benefit of professionals, professional bodies and educators.

This study aims to develop a curriculum guide model to upgrade the construction supervision practices, considering evolving challenges and thereby the next normal of the industry.

Both qualitative and quantitative research designs were adopted to identify productivity-related challenges that can be addressed through effective supervision in construction. Meetings, discussions, workshops and surveys were conducted among construction experts to systematically develop the competencies of construction supervision. The necessary mapping models were used to identify the level of outcomes for each competency element along with the learning domains and programme outcomes.

A curriculum guide model consisting of 64 competency elements has been introduced with corresponding assessment weightages and mapping outcomes. Using this model, a new training programme has been designed and tested with weightage percentages on learning domains.

Although the scope of the study is limited to Sri Lanka, the findings can be interpreted for critical learning in other developing countries too.

The study outcomes are expected to make a high impact on improving the standards of vocational training education in the country, thereby upgrading the current industry practices.

The developed guide model is expected to be a valuable tool for training providers/organisations in upgrading their programmes/practices with the scope of productivity improvement. The obtained mapping outcomes are significant for the evolving next normal situations in teaching, learning and assessment methods with regard to construction supervision practices.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the degree to which a compulsory induction program for Vietnamese higher education teachers influences participants’ perceptions of curriculum and course design.

This case study uses a qualitative, interpretive approach to data collection. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 program participants before they started the program and immediately after they completed the program. Five program presenters also were interviewed and documents related to the program were analyzed.

The findings reflect the influence of Biggs’ (2003) constructive alignment approach on participants’ curriculum perceptions, although this approach was not explicitly stated in the program guidelines. Upon the completion of the program, participants realized the importance of their voices in curriculum construction and course design, which was absent from the pre-program findings. However, students’ agency in co-constructing the curriculum and the “being” of curriculum were not perceived.

The paper adds to the growing literature on induction programs and their relation to curriculum perceptions.

The paper provides examples of the changes in participants’ perceptions of curriculum and accentuates, what is neglected in the construction of curriculum.

The paper invites reflection on the design and implementation of curriculum from academic developers, education practitioners and researchers in similar contexts.

The education sector is at the forefront of developing tomorrow’s construction professionals. It is therefore important that with the current rate of change in the construction industry, education curriculum should be seen to be relevant. An area that is revolutionising the construction industry is the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM), including its potential for improving H&S on construction sites. This paper aims to focus on the perception of higher education (HE) students on the potential impact of 4D modelling on the management of site health and safety on construction sites.

A quasi-experimental approach was adopted to determine student’s perception of the extent to which 4D modelling and simulation can impact H&S management. Pre-test and post-test students’ perceptions of the value of 4D to management of health and safety were compared.

The influence of education was examined by using two main students groups, one group studying BIM modules within their course while the other group did not. Although minimal perception differences regarding key impacts of 4D were highlighted, the awareness differences were significant. The study demonstrated the perception of benefits regarding 4D for H&S being in the planning of site logistics, visualisation, programme accuracy and risk reduction. The study highlights the importance of relevant education, to increase awareness of 4D for Health and Safety.

While most of the studies reported in academic literature on education and training related to university/tertiary education, this study focused on the higher education level students. It considered this as an equally important cohort as the graduates will also contribute to health and safety management on construction sites. The study also demonstrated the value of including technology based H&S training to mirror developments in the construction industry.

In 1993 the Ministry of Education in New Zealand identified health education, jointly with physical education, as one of the seven essential learning areas of the country’s national curriculum. This article takes a critical look at some of the emerging issues during the construction and implementation of the new curriculum. Consultation is one of the vital ingredients for successful curriculum construction. It might reasonably be assumed that the views and opinions of children and young people would be sought, and that their issues and concerns might be taken into account during the process. Indications are that this does not happen; this article addresses the question of whose knowledge and what knowledge counts. The new curriculum identifies health with physical education as a single learning area. The author considers that it would be more suitable to position health with social studies, as the two subject areas have more complementary similarities between goals, processes and content.