IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i9p4921-d544856.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Training Freshmen Engineers as Managers to Develop Soft Skills: A Person-Centred Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Rosa-María Rodríguez-Jiménez

    (Science, Computation and Technology Department, School of Architecture, Engineering and Design, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain)

  • Pedro J. Lara-Bercial

    (Science, Computation and Technology Department, School of Architecture, Engineering and Design, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain)

  • María-José Terrón-López

    (Aerospace and Industrial Engineering Department, School of Architecture, Engineering and Design, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain)

Abstract

This article describes a subject design to train engineer students in soft skills through an experiential and person-centred approach, as is usually developed in companies for managers to incorporate responsible and ethical engineering perspectives. This design is based on an experiential methodology and its impact on students is presented. The subject, called “Personal and Professional Effectiveness”, was designed and developed based on Covey’s classic book “The 7 habits of highly effective people” and introduces ethical and social commitment among other contents. A detailed description of different activities carried out within the module is provided to allow replication. Students’ perception, gathered from their reflexive diaries, and academic satisfaction survey results are presented. Students report that this teaching method leads to a deeper connection with themselves and increased awareness of their strengths and weaknesses. Students seem to have understood the importance of sustainability and how individual behavior impacts in an engineering team. They reflect on how being aware of their own strengths and difficulties helps them integrate different knowledge into their daily lives and how this can improve their behaviors, not only professionally, but also personally.

Suggested Citation

  • Rosa-María Rodríguez-Jiménez & Pedro J. Lara-Bercial & María-José Terrón-López, 2021. "Training Freshmen Engineers as Managers to Develop Soft Skills: A Person-Centred Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:4921-:d:544856
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/4921/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/4921/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jana Dlouhá & Raquel Heras & Ingrid Mulà & Francisca Perez Salgado & Laura Henderson, 2019. "Competences to Address SDGs in Higher Education—A Reflection on the Equilibrium between Systemic and Personal Approaches to Achieve Transformative Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-23, July.
    2. Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Francisco Manuel Moreno-Pino & Bárbara Sureda & Miguel Antúnez & Ibon Gutiérrez, 2019. "A Methodology to Analyze the Presence of Sustainability in Engineering Curricula. Case of Study: Ten Spanish Engineering Degree Curricula," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-27, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gemma Tejedor & Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Jordi Segalàs, 2022. "Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education-Introduction to a Special Issue," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-6, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Leire Guerenabarrena-Cortazar & Jon Olaskoaga-Larrauri & Ernesto Cilleruelo-Carrasco, 2021. "Integration of Sustainability in Engineering and Architectural Studies in Spanish Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-14, July.
    2. Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Jordi Segalas & Gorka Bueno & Pere Busquets & Joan Climent & Victor G. Galofré & Boris Lazzarini & David Lopez & Carme Martín & Rafael Miñano & Estíbaliz Sáez de Cámara & Bá, 2021. "Tools for Embedding and Assessing Sustainable Development Goals in Engineering Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-30, November.
    3. Alexander Martín-Garin & José Antonio Millán-García & Iñigo Leon & Xabat Oregi & Julian Estevez & Cristina Marieta, 2021. "Pedagogical Approaches for Sustainable Development in Building in Higher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-22, September.
    4. Kifah Imara & Fahriye Altinay, 2021. "Integrating Education for Sustainable Development Competencies in Teacher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-17, November.
    5. Ali M. Al-Bahi & Mohamed S. Abd-Elwahed & Abdelfattah Y. Soliman, 2021. "Implementation of Sustainability Indicators in Engineering Education Using a Combined Balanced Scorecard and Quality Function Deployment Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-28, June.
    6. Bankole Osita Awuzie & Amal Abuzeinab, 2019. "Modelling Organisational Factors Influencing Sustainable Development Implementation Performance in Higher Education Institutions: An Interpretative Structural Modelling (ISM) Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-18, August.
    7. Alba Manresa & Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent & Úrsula Faura-Martínez & Juan-Vicente Llinares-Ciscar, 2021. "What Do Freshmen Know about Sustainability? Analysing the Skill Gap among University Business Administration Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    8. Marcel Bassachs & Teresa Serra & Remigijus Bubnys & Dolors Cañabate & Jordi Colomer, 2022. "Multimodal Approaches to Math and Physical Education within Cooperative Learning to Enhance Social Attitudes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-16, December.
    9. Jordi Martínez-Ventura & Eduardo de-Miguel-Arbonés & Carla Sentieri-Omarrementería & Juanjo Galan & María Calero-Llinares, 2021. "A Tool to Assess Architectural Education from the Sustainable Development Perspective and the Students’ Viewpoint," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-40, August.
    10. Christine Vatovec & Haley Ferrer, 2019. "Sustainable Well-Being Challenge: A Student-Centered Pedagogical Tool Linking Human Well-Being to Ecological Flourishing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-8, December.
    11. José M. Peiró & Vicente Martínez-Tur & Nanja Nagorny-Koring & Christoph Auch, 2021. "A Framework of Professional Transferable Competences for System Innovation: Enabling Leadership and Agency for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-30, February.
    12. Lucía Martínez-Virto & Begoña Pérez-Eransus, 2021. "The Role of the Public University of Navarre in Achieving the 1st SDG for the End of Poverty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-20, August.
    13. Dolors Gil-Doménech & Nina Magomedova & Eugenio José Sánchez-Alcázar & Matilde Lafuente-Lechuga, 2021. "Integrating Sustainability in the Business Administration and Management Curriculum: A Sustainability Competencies Map," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-23, August.
    14. Lidia Alexa & Veronica Maier & Anca Șerban & Razvan Craciunescu, 2020. "Engineers Changing the World: Education for Sustainability in Romanian Technical Universities—An Empirical Web-Based Content Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-20, March.
    15. Alexis Rampa & Yiorgos Gadanakis & Gillian Rose, 2020. "Land Reform in the Era of Global Warming—Can Land Reforms Help Agriculture Be Climate-Smart?," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-24, November.
    16. Wendy L. Arteaga-Cedeño & Miguel Á. Carbonero-Martín & Luis J. Martín-Antón & Paula Molinero-González, 2022. "The Sociodemographic-Professional Profile and Emotional Intelligence in Infant and Primary Education Teachers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-17, August.
    17. Esther García-González & Rocío Jiménez-Fontana & Pilar Azcárate, 2020. "Education for Sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals: Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions and Knowledge," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-19, September.
    18. Andreja Abina & Tanja Batkovič & Bojan Cestnik & Adem Kikaj & Rebeka Kovačič Lukman & Maja Kurbus & Aleksander Zidanšek, 2022. "Decision Support Concept for Improvement of Sustainability-Related Competences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-21, July.
    19. Ronald Venn & Paquita Perez & Valerie Vandenbussche, 2022. "Competencies of Sustainability Professionals: An Empirical Study on Key Competencies for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-22, April.
    20. Rosa Nidia Tuay-Sigua & María Rocío Pérez-Mesa & Yair Alexander Porras-Contreras, 2023. "Teachers’ Ideas and Educational Experiences Regarding Urban Environmental Sustainability in Bogotá, Colombia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-18, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:4921-:d:544856. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.