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Incorporating problem-based learning in transport engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs
Mhlanga, Z. P. 2025. Incorporating Problem-Based Learning in Transport Engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/8d754c9f-7fd3-4614-b963-78fc6fc574a8
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613954071592960 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Mhlanga, Zenzile Philomena |
| author2 | Bruwer, Megan Melissa |
| author_browse | Bruwer, Megan Melissa Mhlanga, Zenzile Philomena |
| author_facet | Bruwer, Megan Melissa Mhlanga, Zenzile Philomena |
| author_sort | Mhlanga, Zenzile Philomena |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Mhlanga, Z. P. 2025. Incorporating Problem-Based Learning in Transport Engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/8d754c9f-7fd3-4614-b963-78fc6fc574a8 |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132247 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:20.637Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132247 Incorporating problem-based learning in transport engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs Mhlanga, Zenzile Philomena Bruwer, Megan Melissa Wolff, Karin Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Civil Engineering. Problem-based learning Transportation engineering --Vocational guidance Competency-based education Engineering -- Study and teaching UCTD Mhlanga, Z. P. 2025. Incorporating Problem-Based Learning in Transport Engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/8d754c9f-7fd3-4614-b963-78fc6fc574a8 Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There has been a growing popularity in introducing Problem-based Learning (PBL) to improve the transition of engineering graduates into the workplace. PBL is a comprehensive approach that allows students to contextualise concepts and gain deep learning skills as compared to traditional teaching methods. However, it has not been implemented extensively in emerging economies due to the lack of resources, contextual research, and understanding of potential exclusionary attributes for disadvantaged students. Employers have reported concerns about graduates’ limited ability to be proactive and solve problems independently, while socioeconomic disparities in South Africa may create a knowledge gap and inhibit the adaptability of graduates in industry. This research aimed to investigate approaches in applying PBL to transportation engineering pedagogy that aligned with industry expectations. This entailed identifying the required technical and practical skills concerning the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) Graduate Attributes (GAs) that underpinned the demands of practice and including a literature study of engineering fields that explored the suitability of incorporating PBL teaching strategies. A sequential exploratory mixed methods study was conducted to determine the feasibility and possible improvements in teaching practices that could be achieved through implementing PBL for key transport engineering concepts. A pilot interview was administered to Transport Engineering alumni of Stellenbosch University who work in the South African transport sector. This informed the web-based questionnaire distributed to transport engineering practitioners with varying levels of experience to triangulate the competencies required for graduates to be prepared for the world of work. Finally, the findings were assessed to determine whether a practical approach derived from the PBL principles improved the performance of the third-year Transport Science 364 students. The results showed that the skills acquisition required for transport engineering graduates to adapt to practice include self-directed learning, analytical problem-solving, interdisciplinary teamwork, and proficiency in software usage. These findings aligned with the learning paradigms of PBL and the ECSA GAs as required of engineering graduates. The intervention also supported the notion that incorporating PBL teaching principles could potentially improve the performance of the third-year Transport Science students. Therefore, the research determined that the PBL pedagogy would produce suitable outcomes that positively affect a graduate’s ability to understand and address ‘real-world’ problems. If implemented correctly, PBL could bridge the gap between universities and the work environment. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is 'n groeiende gewildheid in die bekendstelling van Probleemgebaseerde Leer (PBL) om die oorgang van gegradueerdes na die werkplek te verbeter. PBL is 'n omvattende benadering wat studente in staat stel om konsepte te kontekstualiseer en diepleervaardighede te ontwikkel in vergelyking met tradisionele onderrigmetodes. Dit is egter nie wyd in ontwikkelende ekonomieë geïmplementeer nie weens die gebrek aan hulpbronne, kontekstuele navorsing en begrip van potensiële uitsluiting van benadeelde studente. Werkgewers het kommer uitgespreek oor gegradueerdes se beperkte vermoë om proaktief te wees en probleme onafhanklik op te los, terwyl sosio-ekonomiese ongelykhede in Suid-Afrika 'n kennisgaping kan skep en die aanpasbaarheid van gegradueerdes in die industrie kan belemmer. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om benaderings te ondersoek vir die toepassing van PBL in vervoeringenieurswese-pedagogiek wat ooreenstem met die verwagtinge van die bedryf. Dit behels die identifisering van die vereiste tegniese en praktiese vaardighede rakende die Ingenieursraad van Suid-Afrika (ECSA) graduandeienskappe (GAs) wat die eise van die praktyk ondersteun. 'n Literatuurstudie van ingenieursvelde, veral vervoeringenieurswese is ook ingesluit, wat die geskiktheid van die inkorporering van PBL-onderrigstrategieë ondersoek. n Sekwensiële, verkennende, gemengde metodestudie is uitgevoer om die haalbaarheid en moontlike verbeterings in onderrigpraktyke te bepaal wat bereik kan word deur die implementering van PBL vir sleutelvervoeringenieurskonsepte. Loodsonderhoude is gevoer met Vervoeringenieurswese alumni van die Universiteit Stellenbosch wat in die Suid-Afrikaanse vervoersektor werk. Die resultate is gebruik om ‘n webgebaseerde vraelys te formuleer wat aan vervoeringenieurswese-praktisyns met verskillende vlakke van ondervinding versprei is ter bepaling van die vaardighede wat gegradueerdes benodig om voorbereid te wees vir die werksomgewing. Om die bevindings te bekragtig, is 'n assessering gedoen om vas te stel of 'n praktiese oefening wat op die PBL-beginsels baseer is, die prestasie van die derdejaarstudente in Vervoerwetenskap 364 verbeter. Die resultate van die studies is gebruik om te evalueer of die PBL-pedagogiek geskikte uitkomste lewer wat 'n positiewe uitwerking op 'n gegradueerde se vermoë het om 'werklike' probleme te verstaan en aan te spreek. As dit korrek geïmplementeer word, kan PBL die huidige gaping tussen universiteite en die werksomgewing oorbrug. Masters 2025-05-30T12:59:23Z 2025-05-30T12:59:23Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132247 en Stellenbosch University 133 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Problem-based learning Transportation engineering --Vocational guidance Competency-based education Engineering -- Study and teaching UCTD Mhlanga, Zenzile Philomena Incorporating problem-based learning in transport engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs |
| title | Incorporating problem-based learning in transport engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs |
| title_full | Incorporating problem-based learning in transport engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs |
| title_fullStr | Incorporating problem-based learning in transport engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Incorporating problem-based learning in transport engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs |
| title_short | Incorporating problem-based learning in transport engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs |
| title_sort | incorporating problem based learning in transport engineering pedagogy to meet industry needs |
| topic | Problem-based learning Transportation engineering --Vocational guidance Competency-based education Engineering -- Study and teaching UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132247 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mhlangazenzilephilomena incorporatingproblembasedlearningintransportengineeringpedagogytomeetindustryneeds |