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Background: COVID-19 has brought many hurdles, and people have had to adjust to new ways. The online class was one such adjustment. Students in health science and engineering streams have more practical learning than theory. The online classes halted the normal teaching-learning processes and brought in unique set of difficulties which was a challenge to both the teacher and the student. Purpose: This study was undertaken to understand the effect of online learning on achievement motivation among health sciences and engineering students during the COVID-19 pandemic and to find out if there is a significant difference across gender, age, type of internet connectivity, and rural/urban areas. Methods: This was a survey-based comparative study. The sample size was 440 and consisted of health science and engineering undergraduate college students, both male and female, in the age group of 17-24 years. Data were collected through the Achievement Motivation Scale given online. A descriptive, z-test, and ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results: The average need for motivation was shown by 50% of engineering students and 54.55% of health science students. High motivation was shown by only 1.36% of engineering students and 0% of health science students. Females showed better achievement motivation than males, and those having good connectivity and staying in urban areas showed higher achievement motivation. Conclusion: Lockdowns cannot be predicted, but the government needs to be effective in its planning for the rural population with regards to internet connectivity. Policymakers concerned with education should come up with modified teaching strategies for better student engagement. Even during regular off-line teaching, one day a week should be devoted to online classes so that this becomes part of the regular curriculum.

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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1069384.].

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Over the past decades, research on positive psychology for building strengths has proliferated. The present study aimed to explore the effect of gratitude in a 5-week positive psychology group program for undergraduate engineering students which included an intermediary 2-week gratitude intervention. In a mixed-design, 69 students from three engineering departments of the School of Pedagogical and Technological Education (ASPETE), assigned to the intervention (N = 34) and the control group (N = 35), with an average age of 21.52 years (SD = 4.63), were administered the Gratitude Questionnaire-six item form (GQ-6), the Modified Differential Emotions Scale (mDES), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), and the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R). The condition experimental vs. control group was designated as the between-subjects factor, and time, that is, baseline vs. post intervention, was set as the within-subjects factor. Students who received the intervention reported significantly higher levels of gratitude. The increase in gratitude was due to the positive psychology group program. In addition, gratitude showed a significant effect on happiness and optimism, but failed to attain a significant impact on positive and negative emotions and resilience. Further research is needed to elucidate the effectiveness of positive psychology programs for undergraduate engineering students and the intervening cognitive processes.

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BACKGROUND: Existing research has demonstrated that depression is positively related to smartphone addiction, but the role of sleep has not been discussed thoroughly, especially among engineering undergraduates affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. AIM: To evaluate sleep as a mediator of the association between smartphone addiction and depression among engineering undergraduates. METHODS: Using a multistage stratified random sampling method, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 692 engineering undergraduates from a top engineering university in China, and data were collected by self-reported electronic questionnaires. The data included demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the association between smartphone addiction and depression, while structural equation models were established to evaluate the possible mediating role of sleep. RESULTS: Based on the cutoffs of the SAS-SV, the rate of smartphone addiction was 63.58 percent, with 56.21 percent for women and 65.68 percent for men, among 692 engineering students. The prevalence of depression among students was 14.16 percent, with 17.65 percent for women, and 13.18 percent for men. Smartphone addiction was positively correlated with depression, and sleep played a significant mediating effect between the two, accounting for 42.22 percent of the total effect. In addition, sleep latency, sleep disturbances, and daytime dysfunction significantly mediated the relationship between depression and smartphone addiction. The mediating effect of sleep latency was 0.014 [P < 0.01; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.006-0.027], the mediating effect of sleep disturbances was 0.022 (P < 0.01; 95%CI: 0.011-0.040), and the mediating effect of daytime dysfunction was 0.040 (P < 0.01; 95%CI: 0.024-0.059). The influence of sleep latency, sleep disturbances, and daytime dysfunction accounted for 18.42%, 28.95%, and 52.63% of the total mediating effect, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of the study suggest that reducing excessive smartphone use and improving sleep quality can help alleviate depression.

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Introduction: Women still being a minority in engineering majors, they are reported to face discriminatory treatment in a collegiate environment. "Chilly climate," referring to such a sexist environment, may have a negative impact on women's mental health, academics, and careers. But, what exactly is it that female students in engineering perceive as chilly, and how chilly is it? This study aimed to explore the chilly campus climate perceived by female undergraduate engineering students in South Korea using the concept mapping method. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 participants enrolled for more than four semesters at four-year coeducational universities. After extracting 52 representative statements, the participants were asked to classify them according to content similarity and rate the influence of each statement on their perception of the chilly climate. For concept mapping analysis, multidimensional scaling analysis (ALSCAL), hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward's method), and non-hierarchical cluster analysis (K-means method) were performed. Results: Fifty-two statements were extracted under the following four clusters: (i) "Exclusion and alienation inherent in the culture (Cluster 1)," (ii) "Sexual objectification and lack of gender sensitivity (Cluster 2)," (iii) "Male-centered academic situations (Cluster 3)," and (iv) "Prejudice and generalization (Cluster 4)." A concept map was two-dimensional: an X-axis named "context dimension," with "task: academic" and "non-task: social" at both ends, and a Y-axis named "sexism dimension", having "explicit" and "implicit" at both ends. The order of higher scores in the influence rating is as follows: Cluster 2, Cluster 3, Cluster 1, and Cluster 4. Discussion: This study is significant because it conceptualizes the subjective experience of minorities in a collegiate environment and provides influence rating results for prioritized measures. The findings will be helpful in formulating educational policies, psychological counseling, and social advocacy activities. Future research should target larger populations, and cover more diverse cultures, majors, and age groups.

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Background: Despite increasing awareness of the importance of promoting the social responsibility of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals, few intervention programs have been developed to enhance the social responsibility of college students or adults in the STEM fields. In this paper, we introduced a new instructional program, called ENACT (engage, navigate, anticipate, conduct, and take action) and examined whether the program increased the social responsibility among safety engineering students (N = 46) recruited from a university located in a southern metropolitan area of South Korea. Results: In the ENACT program, the college students selected and explored socioscientific issues (SSIs) of their own interest then autonomously engaged in scientific and engineering group projects spanning a semester where they developed solutions to the SSIs and shared them with their communities. At the conclusion of the intervention in this study, they displayed an increased social responsibility regarding the consideration of societal needs and demands, civic engagement and services, and participation in policy decision-making. Social responsibility scores measured after the intervention (post-test) correlated with students' willingness to voluntarily participate in projects involving SSIs. In addition, the intervention effects were more pronounced for the students who initially had medium and low social responsibility scores. Conclusions: We have shown that social responsibility can be nurtured by systemic instructional approaches, and increased social responsibility can lead to greater commitment to resolving SSIs. Mastering engineering content knowledge and skills is the key element of engineering curricula. However, we are compelled to incorporate social responsibility into the STEM curriculum. We believe that the ENACT model contributes toward this end.

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Background: The study investigates the influence of antecedents of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and personality traits on entrepreneurial intention and behaviour among engineering students in an emerging economy. It employs the extension of the TPB model by focusing on the intention-behaviour gap, an under-researched area in research. Furthermore, it investigates the moderating effect of entrepreneurial motivation on the relationship between intention and behaviour to improve conceptual model predictability. Methods: A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 1,564 engineering students, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM) with Amos software. Results: The results revealed that subjective norms were the strongest predictor of entrepreneurial intention and behaviour, followed by entrepreneurial alertness, perceived behavioural control, attitude towards entrepreneurship, need for achievement, and risk tolerance. Moreover, the moderation analysis showed that entrepreneurial motivation was crucial in moderating the relationship between intention and behaviour. Conclusions: The present conceptual model contributes to the existing TPB model by improving predictive power to understand the intention-behaviour relationship. The results of the study will assist policymakers, academicians of higher education institutions, and universities in developing policies, strategies, and curricula to engage more students in entrepreneurial activities.

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This article aims to determine the relationship between general health and happiness in male and female engineering students in Iran. The analysis relies on a unique dataset collected through two questionnaires (Oxford Happiness and GHQ28) from a representative sample (n = 2,000). Although similar data have been collected quite independently by different communities of researchers, and empirical evidence points to very similar underlying mechanisms, but they did not consider non-normal distribution samples. In this study, data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon's signed rank tests. The mean happiness and general health were 42.89 ± 14.84 and 23.76 ± 13.28, respectively. There was a positive and significant relationship between these two variables (P ≤ 0.05, r = 0.59). Happiness showed significant differences in males and females, but general health did not. In general, female students enjoyed more health and happiness. This study argues that clarifying the relationship between happiness and health in different genders can help academic authorities and youth planners to pay special attention to this issue and provide particular programs.

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Influenced by factors such as gendered masculine culture within the engineering fields, female engineering students are facing increasing mental health issues. However, the effect of gender or engineering identity on the mental health distress of female engineering students was not well explored till now. This study adds to the current body of knowledge of mental health distress in female engineering students by proposing and verifying a moderating model based on social identity theory (SIT). The data were collected in June 2022 using a cross-sectional survey questionnaire distributed at five universities in eastern China (N = 376). A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to understand the relation between the tension of interpersonal relationships, the mental health distress female engineering students suffer from, and their gender or engineering identity. In our sample, 13.03%, 15.96%, and 14.36% of the female engineering students self-reported moderate to extremely severe stress, anxiety, and depression, respectively. Meanwhile, our results provide empirical evidence for the significantly positive relationship between the female engineering students' tension of interpersonal relationships and their mental health distress, including stress, anxiety, and depression. Moreover, we found that gender identity can enhance the positive relationships mentioned above, while engineering identity could weaken these relationships. These findings provide empirical evidence for the role of social identity theory in dealing with mental health problems among engineering students. Broadly, the results of this work inform that social identity and professional role identity should be considered when designing interventions to prevent mental health crises among college students.

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Deep learning is a type of high-level learning that has received widespread attention in research on higher education; however, learning scenarios as an important variable have been ignored to some extent in past studies. This study aimed to explore the learning state of engineering students in three learning scenarios: theoretical learning, experimental learning, and engineering practice. Samples of engineering university students in China were recruited online and offline; the students filled in the engineering Education-Study Process Questionnaire, which was revised from the R-SPQ-2F. The results of clustering analysis showed four types of learning approaches in the three scenarios: typical deep learning, typical shallow learning, deep-shallow learning, and free learning. Engineering learners in different learning scenarios tended to adopt different learning approaches and showed gender differences. Due to factors such as differences in culture and choice of learning opportunities, the deep and shallow learners demonstrated excellent learning performance, which is in sharp contrast with the "learning failure" exhibited by such students abroad.

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This paper identifies an opportunity to integrate gamification in undergraduate biomedical engineering (BME) classrooms to alleviate student test anxiety and promote student perception of their academic performance. Gamification is a popular educational strategy that does not appear to be widely explored or adopted in higher education, particularly in a BME setting. This study proposes methods for the development, implementation, and evaluation of academic games and provides concrete practices and detailed instruction in which games can be used as an alternative to a traditional exam to support student mental health. The reflection provides the feedback received from students which demonstrates a balanced view of using game-based activities for tests and evaluations, cautiously optimistic based on the initial positive attitude seen from students.

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Introduction: With the advent of the digital age, the gradually increasing demands of the engineering job market make it inevitable that engineering students face the pressures that arise from academic life with their peers. To address this issue, this study aims to explore the influence of engineering students' peer pressure on learning behavior based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Methods: In addition to attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls inherent in TPB, two new dimensions-gender difference and peer academic ability-were incorporated to construct a framework of the dimensions of peer pressure as affecting engineering students as well as an expanded model of TPB. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 160 college engineering students and a structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. Results: The result showed that positive peer pressure can increase engineering students' learning intention and thus promote learning behavior. It was also determined that the TPB model can effectively explain the effect of peer pressure on learning behavior, in addition to expanding and reshaping the relationship between the attitudinal dimension in the TPB model. Discussion: From the results, it is clear that positive attitudes toward learning can trigger positive peer pressure. Good group norms can induce peer pressure through rewards and punishments as a way to motivate students' learning intention and learning behaviors. When peer pressure is perceived, students mobilize positive emotions toward learning. Meanwhile, both male and female engineering students are also significantly motivated by high peer achievement, and high-performing female students motivate their male peers, which leads to higher graduation rates.

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Computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering technologies (CAD/CAM/CAE) are a mainstay in today's industry and therefore they should be an important part in the current training plan of the graduate engineers. However, their implementation in the university environment presents certain barriers that make it difficult. In this work, we study the feasibility of the teaching proposal of the management of this type of tools through a Project-Based Learning method in a distance learning environment. The methodology has been implemented transversally in two Master's degree subjects related to advanced design and manufacturing and has been carried out thanks to the operation of the product lifecycle management platform software by virtual machines. The practice has given very good pedagogical results in the work of skills related to the field of industrial design and manufacturing. The virtual system has demonstrated high efficiency and students have shown a satisfactory evolution in their professional training.

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BACKGROUND: Graduates of environmental health engineering should be able to manage Social Determinants of Health (SDH) and acquire the essential competencies during their studies at university. This study was performed to determine the expected competencies of environmental health graduates in a way to be able to manage environmental and Social Determinants of Health according to their job description. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed using Delphi technique. First, the literature review was done and the Delphi technique was performed in three rounds. The purposeful sampling was used and 50 people were selected among the specialists in the field of environmental health engineering and SDH. Participants answered an open-ended question, for the first round. Then, a questionnaire with 8 areas was designed based on the results of the first round and distributed for the second round. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. The third round was done to reach the agreement on final items. RESULTS: The agreement on the items of the third round of Delphi was more than 70%. The final results showed eight competency areas under which 29 competencies were defined. Competency areas included expert knowledge, reasoning and planning, advocacy, system-based practice, professionalism, instructional expertise, social and personal skills and, research and self-development. The first three priorities of the required competency areas were expert knowledge (4.46 ± 0.55), professionalism (4.42 ± 0.64), and advocacy (4.32 ± 0.77). CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary that environmental health engineers achieve necessary competencies regarding managing SDH, upon their graduation. It is suggested to integrate these competencies into the curriculum of environmental and health engineering in Iran universities.

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While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to many disruptions in industrial value chains, the adoption of circular economy (CE) principles appears to be a commendable solution for more robust, resilient, and sustainable industrial supply chains. In this study, the standpoints and visions of two consecutive classes of engineering students - following the course "Circular Economy & Industrial Systems" at the Université Paris-Saclay - are given on how they value CE strategies to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on industrial practices. Capturing and understanding the viewpoints of the engineers of tomorrow on such a pressing issue is key to train and provide them with the suitable methods and tools to build a more circular and sustainable society. At the end of their eight-week training class, including theoretical background on industrial ecology tools, workshops, and a hands-on project, part of the final exam included a one-hour essay in which the students had to argue their position on the following questions: (i) "Circular Economy as an answer to the COVID-19 crisis?" for the class of 2020, and (ii) "Circular Economy as an answer for green recovery and value chain resiliency in the COVID-19 context?" for the class of 2021. Interestingly, the evolution of viewpoints between the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis (exam conducted in May 2020 for the first class) and one year after (exam conducted in Mars 2021 for the second class) is discussed and illustrated. Also, the answers and insights provided by engineering students on these questions are positioned within the state-of-the-art literature on the topic. Last but not least, key recommendations and challenges on how CE could alleviate COVID-related disruptions and production shortages are synthesized in a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities) diagram.

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The goal of the present study is to examine the moderating role of resources at work or study in the relation between demands, vigor, and fatigue in academic life. Trying to replicate scarce research on both academic and student stress simultaneously, we tested the so-called triple-match principle in an academic context to study whether or not match between specific resources, demands and well-being/health outcomes does really matter. A cross-sectional survey study using online self-completion questionnaires was carried out among 96 academics and 221 engineering students from a technological university (n = 317 in total). Findings showed a moderating, matching, role of resources in the association between demands, vigor, and particularly fatigue. Specifically, high cognitive resources strengthened the positive relation between cognitive demands and cognitive liveliness. In addition, high emotional resources buffered the positive association between emotional demands and successively emotional, cognitive and physical fatigue. This study reveals that matching resources are important in academic life. Therefore, it seems essential to create an appropriate equilibrium between specific resources and corresponding demands to promote academic well-being and health.

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This article investigates the effect of academic majors on entrepreneurial intentions of engineering and business students. The research model was established based on the extension of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) through combining the TPB model, perceived risks, academic majors and personalities of students. A sample of 1844 students from the four largest universities in engineering and business in Vietnam were surveyed. The main findings indicated that (i) the relationship in the TPB model was accepted except the effect of subjective norms on entrepreneurial intentions; (ii) perceived risks have negative impacts on perceived behavioral control; (iii) male engineering students have a higher entrepreneurial intentions than female students, but this result was not found in business students; (iv) engineering students have a higher entrepreneurial intentions than business students; (vi) there are no differences between the entrepreneurial intention of students coming from rural and urban areas. The study also contributes to some policy discussion to extend the current debate about the role of academic majors that students take in university in the entrepreneurial process as well as the importance of entrepreneurial students to society.

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Background: Dropout in higher education is a concern for students, families, educational institutions, and society. Tertiary education is an important mechanism for empowering people and STEM courses are vital to countries’ development. Method: The study combined quantitative and qualitative data. Step 1 was an analysis of personal and contextual variables in a comprehensive examination of dropout in a sample of 1,016 engineering students. In step 2 a short interview by telephone were conducted with 82 students who dropped out, identifying their reasons and their academic/professional situation. In step 3 in-depth interviews were conducted with six students in order to understand the dynamic process of their decisions to leave. Results: The academic/professional situations of students who dropped out were quite varied, for example the same course or a different course at another institution, starting a job, not working or studying, or attending another level of professional training. There were three main reasons for dropping: vocational, learning process and achievement, and reconciling roles. Conclusions: Engineering student dropout is related to vocational and academic achievement. This should be considered in the implementation of programs to reduce the rate of dropout. (AU)

Antecedentes: la deserción en la educación superior es una preocupación para los estudiantes, las familias, las instituciones educativas y la sociedad. La educación terciaria es un mecanismo importante para el empoderamiento de las personas, y los cursos STEM son vitales para el desarrollo de los países. Método: estudio que combina datos cuantitativos y cualitativos. En el paso 1 analizamos variables personales y contextuales y la deserción de 1.016 estudiantes de ingeniería. En el paso 2 se realizó una breve entrevista telefónica a 82 estudiantes que desertaron, identifi cando sus motivos y situación académica/profesional. En el paso 3 se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad a seis estudiantes para comprender el proceso dinámico de decisión de abandonar. Resultados: la situación académica/profesional de los estudiantes que desertaron es bastante diferente, por ejemplo cursar la misma o otra carrera en otra institución, empezar trabajando, no trabajar ni estudiar y cursar otro nivel de formación profesional. Los estudiantes informaron tres razones principales para la deserción: vocacional, proceso de aprendizaje y logro, y reconciliación de roles. Conclusiones: la deserción de los estudiantes de ingeniería está relacionada con el rendimiento académico y vocacional. Esto debe tenerse en cuenta en la implementación de programas para reducir la deserción. (AU)

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Background and Objectives: On March 11, the World Health Organization stated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was a global pandemic; the rapid and extended spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant cause of concern for face-to-face university study. This study investigated the knowledge and awareness of chemical engineering students in Al-Balqa Applied University (BAU) in Jordan about respiratory protective measures against COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was developed using a multi-stage random sampling technique conducted from April 21-28, 2020. The data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed to BAU's chemical engineering students, with 179 responders completed the survey correctly. The data were analyzed statistically using the SPSS program. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: the first measured the student's general knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic, while the second focused on the respiratory protection methods against COVID-19; it was structured to assess the student's knowledge about the suitable types of masks and respirators used in COVID-19 prevention, their detailed mechanism of action and filtration process type, their production materials, and finally how the student's knowledge affects choosing a proper preventive method. Results: The study found moderate awareness among engineering students about COVID-19 causative agent, effective preventive masks/respirators used, and the mask's viral blockage mechanisms. A total of 89 respondents (49.7%) pointed to the correct best protective mask, i.e., N95 mask. On the other hand, 119 respondents (66.5%) believed that a surgical mask is the best protective mask. The study also showed differences in knowledge between different academic years; the knowledge about respirators, masks, and their action mechanism among senior students in the last three academic years was better than the younger students with a P-value of 0.047 for knowledge about respirator used for protection against coronavirus disease and the P-value of 0.028 for knowledge of the comparisons between the N95 and surgical mask. On the other hand, the study showed a lack of awareness of the most suitable mask types used in pandemics and the appropriate use method. Conclusions: The study found that chemical engineering students in Al-Balqa university were moderately knowledgeable regarding COVID-19 respiratory preventive methods; these results provided an overview of each student's community's knowledge level. Therefore, efforts are needed to improve public awareness through comprehensive educational campaigns to increase students' knowledge, attitude, and practice.

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BACKGROUND@#Graduates of environmental health engineering should be able to manage Social Determinants of Health (SDH) and acquire the essential competencies during their studies at university. This study was performed to determine the expected competencies of environmental health graduates in a way to be able to manage environmental and Social Determinants of Health according to their job description.@*METHODS@#This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed using Delphi technique. First, the literature review was done and the Delphi technique was performed in three rounds. The purposeful sampling was used and 50 people were selected among the specialists in the field of environmental health engineering and SDH. Participants answered an open-ended question, for the first round. Then, a questionnaire with 8 areas was designed based on the results of the first round and distributed for the second round. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. The third round was done to reach the agreement on final items.@*RESULTS@#The agreement on the items of the third round of Delphi was more than 70%. The final results showed eight competency areas under which 29 competencies were defined. Competency areas included expert knowledge, reasoning and planning, advocacy, system-based practice, professionalism, instructional expertise, social and personal skills and, research and self-development. The first three priorities of the required competency areas were expert knowledge (4.46 ± 0.55), professionalism (4.42 ± 0.64), and advocacy (4.32 ± 0.77).@*CONCLUSIONS@#It is necessary that environmental health engineers achieve necessary competencies regarding managing SDH, upon their graduation. It is suggested to integrate these competencies into the curriculum of environmental and health engineering in Iran universities.

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