A Literature Review of Transdisciplinarity in Engineering Education

Shuyu Wang; Rachel Louis Kajfez

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Conference: 2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference
Location: Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia
Publication Date: March 28, 2025
Start Date: March 28, 2025
End Date: March 29, 2025
Page Count: 16
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/54645

Paper Authors

biography

Shuyu Wang The Ohio State University orcid.org/0009-0004-9576-6371

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Shuyu Wang is a Ph.D. student in the Department of engineering education at the Ohio state university. Currently, she is a graduate research associate in an NSF-funded project aiming to train students to become wicked scientists through transdisciplinary approaches. Shuyu is also a member of the Research on Identity and Motivation in Engineering research group, led by Dr. Rachel L. Kajfez, focusing on studying the intersection between motivation and identity to improve engineering students’ success.

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biography

Rachel Louis Kajfez The Ohio State University orcid.org/0000-0001-9745-1921

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Dr. Rachel Louis Kajfez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at The Ohio State University. She earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Ohio State and earned her Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech. Her research interests focus on the intersection between motivation and identity, first-year engineering programs, mixed methods research, and innovative approaches to teaching. She is the principal investigator for the Research on Identity and Motivation in Engineering (RIME) Collaborative.

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Abstract

In our fast-paced and rapidly changing world, humanity is confronted with problems that are complex and demand innovative solutions. Navigating this landscape requires a redesign of engineering education so that students are equipped with the tools necessary to confront these complex problems While engineering programs have adopted courses promoting collaboration across different disciplines, the recent emergence of transdisciplinarity, involving broader societal engagement for tackling complex challenges, calls for extensive research to understand its implementation in engineering education. In this literature review paper, we investigated how transdisciplinarity has been integrated in engineering education by delving into the existing challenges and future opportunities that transdisciplinarity offers engineering education. Moreover, we aimed to analyze how transdisciplinary approaches can reshape engineering curricula to better prepare students for real-world, complex challenges.

For this paper, we searched for literature related to transdisciplinarity in engineering education. We focused on studies published in journals or conferences that included terms, such as “transdisciplinary” and “engineering” in the title, abstract, or keywords to narrow the search and ensure relevance to our topic of interest. From this process, we identified several relevant studies, which we grouped into three primary themes: 1) Integration of real-world problems, 2) Transdisciplinary competencies, and 3) Engagement with non-academic stakeholders. These themes were derived from key concepts that are widely acknowledged in both the literature reviewed in this paper and the broader research on transdisciplinary practices in higher education worldwide. Collectively, they aim to prepare students with the skills needed to create innovative solutions, collaborate effectively, and integrate diverse knowledge.

Across the three identified themes, the challenges of integrating transdisciplinarity into engineering education included overcoming disciplinary barriers, enhancing team dynamics, and conducting longitudinal studies to assess long-term outcomes. To address these challenges, future research should focus on developing curricula for transdisciplinary programs and exploring the broader impact of transdisciplinary approaches across various educational levels in engineering education field.

Citation
Format

Wang, S., & Kajfez, R. L. (2025, March), A Literature Review of Transdisciplinarity in Engineering Education Paper presented at 2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia. https://peer.asee.org/54645

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - In our fast-paced and rapidly changing world, humanity is confronted with problems that are complex and demand innovative solutions. Navigating this landscape requires a redesign of engineering education so that students are equipped with the tools necessary to confront these complex problems While engineering programs have adopted courses promoting collaboration across different disciplines, the recent emergence of transdisciplinarity, involving broader societal engagement for tackling complex challenges, calls for extensive research to understand its implementation in engineering education. In this literature review paper, we investigated how transdisciplinarity has been integrated in engineering education by delving into the existing challenges and future opportunities that transdisciplinarity offers engineering education. Moreover, we aimed to analyze how transdisciplinary approaches can reshape engineering curricula to better prepare students for real-world, complex challenges.

For this paper, we searched for literature related to transdisciplinarity in engineering education. We focused on studies published in journals or conferences that included terms, such as “transdisciplinary” and “engineering” in the title, abstract, or keywords to narrow the search and ensure relevance to our topic of interest. From this process, we identified several relevant studies, which we grouped into three primary themes: 1) Integration of real-world problems, 2) Transdisciplinary competencies, and 3) Engagement with non-academic stakeholders. These themes were derived from key concepts that are widely acknowledged in both the literature reviewed in this paper and the broader research on transdisciplinary practices in higher education worldwide. Collectively, they aim to prepare students with the skills needed to create innovative solutions, collaborate effectively, and integrate diverse knowledge. 

Across the three identified themes, the challenges of integrating transdisciplinarity into engineering education included overcoming disciplinary barriers, enhancing team dynamics, and conducting longitudinal studies to assess long-term outcomes. To address these challenges, future research should focus on developing curricula for transdisciplinary programs and exploring the broader impact of transdisciplinary approaches across various educational levels in engineering education field. 
AU  - Shuyu Wang
AU  - Rachel Louis Kajfez
CY  - Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia
DA  - 2025/03/28
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - A Literature Review of Transdisciplinarity in Engineering Education
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/54645
ER  -