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Traversing the Evolution of Research on Engineering Education for Sustainability: A Bibliometric Review (1991–2022)

Author

Listed:
  • David Kongpiwatana Narong

    (College of Management, Mahidol University, 69 Vipawadee Rangsit Road, Samsennai, Phayathai District, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Philip Hallinger

    (College of Management, Mahidol University, 69 Vipawadee Rangsit Road, Samsennai, Phayathai District, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
    Department of Educational Leadership and Management, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

Engineering education plays a pivotal role in cultivating the engineering capacity for sustainable development. Nonetheless, there has been no comprehensive review that examines sustainability as a distinct knowledge domain within engineering education. This review filled this gap by conducting a bibliometric review to document the research landscape, analyze the intellectual structure of the literature, and identify emerging research themes. The review sourced 2738 Scopus-indexed documents published between 1991 and 2022. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, co-citation analysis, and keyword co-occurrence analysis. The study identified consistent growth in research output and geographic diversity. Four predominant conceptual themes were identified in the literature: (1) Engineering Education Reform, (2) Engineering Competencies, Pedagogy, and Curriculum, (3) Curriculum Assessment and Benchmarks, and (4) Sustainable Technologies. Findings emphasize the need for defining precise engineering competencies related to sustainability, incorporating diverse teaching methods, and ensuring that sustainability learning outcomes align with changing industry norms, regulations, and accreditation criteria. The study also highlights a growing focus on the use of Industry 4.0 technologies as a means of achieving sustainability outcomes. The review underscores the need for sustained curriculum reform to successfully transform engineering education toward sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • David Kongpiwatana Narong & Philip Hallinger, 2024. "Traversing the Evolution of Research on Engineering Education for Sustainability: A Bibliometric Review (1991–2022)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:2:p:641-:d:1317216
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Susana Romero & Marian Aláez & Daniel Amo & David Fonseca, 2020. "Systematic Review of How Engineering Schools around the World Are Deploying the 2030 Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-22, June.
    2. Vivek Kumar Singh & Prashasti Singh & Mousumi Karmakar & Jacqueline Leta & Philipp Mayr, 2021. "The journal coverage of Web of Science, Scopus and Dimensions: A comparative analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(6), pages 5113-5142, June.
    3. Chen, Yuche & Zhang, Yunteng & Fan, Yueyue & Hu, Kejia & Zhao, Jianyou, 2017. "A dynamic programming approach for modeling low-carbon fuel technology adoption considering learning-by-doing effect," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P1), pages 825-835.
    4. David Moher & Alessandro Liberati & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Douglas G Altman & The PRISMA Group, 2009. "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-6, July.
    5. Alberto Martín-Martín & Mike Thelwall & Enrique Orduna-Malea & Emilio Delgado López-Cózar, 2021. "Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, Scopus, Dimensions, Web of Science, and OpenCitations’ COCI: a multidisciplinary comparison of coverage via citations," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(1), pages 871-906, January.
    6. Alberto Martín-Martín & Mike Thelwall & Enrique Orduna-Malea & Emilio Delgado López-Cózar, 2021. "Correction to: Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, Scopus, Dimensions, Web of Science, and OpenCitations’ COCI: a multidisciplinary comparison of coverage via citations," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(1), pages 907-908, January.
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    1. Oxana Denissova & Eduardo Sánchez-García & Javier Martínez-Falcó & Zhadyra Konurbayeva & Bartolomé Marco-Lajara & Saltanat Suieubayeva, 2026. "Reimagining engineering education through the lens of sustainable development goals," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 1-24, April.

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