The Impact of University Challenges on Students’ Attitudes and Career Paths in Industrial Engineering: A Comparative Study

The educational landscape is undergoing a transformative shift from conventional teaching methodologies towards experiential approaches, such as flipped classrooms, case-based learning, and university challenges. This paradigm change spurred our investigation to evaluate the influence of university challenges on students’ attitudinal development, alignment with future roles, and job satisfaction, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. To achieve this, we devised a questionnaire and a personality test administered to two datasets of Engineering and Management students commencing in 2022. The first questionnaire integrated 249 items from the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) and dimensions from the O*NET workstyles database, focusing on psychological constructs and job profile characteristics, contributing to the advancement of SDG 4’s goal for inclusive and quality education. The second questionnaire covered various occupational dimensions. Our findings revealed a positive correlation between participation in university challenges and analytical thinking and innovation, demonstrating the potential impact of experiential learning on crucial skill development. However, job satisfaction seemed to be influenced by multifaceted factors, with no discernible impact stemming from contest participation during academic studies. This study quantitatively underscores the influence of experiential teaching methods, particularly challenge-based learning, within the context of SDG 4, shedding light on how these approaches significantly shape students’ attitudes and perspectives. In the realm of education, the adoption of diverse teaching methodologies, such as collaborative teaching methods, learning factories, and active learning, has been on the rise, enriching the learning experience in university classrooms. Our research delves into the impact of integrating optional university challenges within Engineering and Management courses and their correlation with improved academic trajectories and enhanced job prospects. These findings carry significant implications for the evolution of university teaching methodologies and the definition of occupational profiles in the field of Industrial Engineering, offering valuable insights for business assessments in line with SDG 4.