Dissertation
Involvement in curriculum development and policy improvement for training
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Involvement in curriculum development and policy improvement for trainingThe findings from the interviews demonstrate the significance of educational institution and industry collaboration in curriculum development. Interviewee 1 (IE1) discusses their participation in the programme advisory committee formed in collaboration with KTU and ATU, emphasising that industry input is crucial to ensuring that graduates find employment and that all stakeholders must collaborate to develop new frameworks. This is consistent with previous research (e.g., Jonck & Van Der Walt, 2015; Ma’dan et al., 2020), indicating that involving industry representatives in curriculum development can lead to a greater alignment between the skills taught and the skills required on the job market. Both Interviewees 2 and 3 (IE2 and IE3) state that they have not yet collaborated with technical universities on curriculum development, but they are open to future collaboration. They emphasise the significance of such collaborations to keep lecturers and students abreast of new technologies in the increasingly digitising industry. This supports the notion that continuous interaction between academia and industry can facilitate knowledge transfer and mutual learning (e.g., Davey et al., 2011; Bruneel et al., 2010). The fourth interviewee (IE4) is unaware of any involvement of their enterprise in curriculum development with technical universities. In recent years, the mechanical engineering curriculum has not changed significantly, resulting in a mismatch between what graduates are taught and what the industry requires. This observation is consistent with the literature's concerns about the potential misalignment between academic curricula and industry demands, which can hinder the employability of graduates (e.g., Kivunja, 2014; Ma’dan et al., 2020). The interviewees stress the significance of collaboration between educational institutions and industries in curriculum development in order to close the skills gap, ensure that graduates are employable, and keep everyone abreast of emerging technologies. These findings support existing literature on the advantages of industry-academia partnerships for augmenting the relevance and efficacy of educational programmes. Future plans to improve engineering training with emerging technologies The findings from the interviews highlight the significance of industry exposure and curriculum revision for enhancing engineering training in emerging technologies. Interviewee 1 (IE1) believes that students and professors should participate in internships and industrial tours in order to bridge the technological skills divide between engineering education and the industry. Literature supports this notion by emphasising the role of experiential learning in enhancing students' understanding of real-world applications and employability (e.g.,Bassah & Noor, 2023; Ifinedo & Kankaanranta, 2021). The interviewees 2, 3, and 4 (IE2, IE3, and IE4) all agree that the current curriculum must be revised to incorporate digital emerging technologies rather than concentrating on traditional or obsolete technologies. Carburetors, distributors, lathes, mills, and other obsolete machinery that are no longer used in the automotive industry are still taught to automotive engineering students. This finding is consistent with research emphasising the significance of curriculum revisions to ensure that students acquire relevant skills for the evolving job market (e.g., Babaran, 2022; Nicholls et al., 2010). The interviewees suggest that it is crucial to expose students and instructors to industry practises and revise the curriculum to better align with the modern, digital landscape of engineering in order to enhance engineering training with emerging technologies. These findings are consistent with the literature on the advantages of industry-academia collaboration, experiential learning, and curriculum adaptation to keep up with technological advances. Download 2.1 Mb. Share with your friends:
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