Systems thinking skills of undergraduate engineering students

It is widely acknowledged that systems thinking skills (STS) are critical competencies that enable engineering students to solve problems, communicate, use data, and design components and systems, with greater success. Yet few studies have focused on examining the ST survey of engineering students in higher education. This preliminary study is aimed at investigating the STS of undergraduate engineering students and comparing the effectiveness of the instruments used to assess those skills. The primary research question is: how can we effectively measure the STS of engineering students? Data were collected via a Background questionnaire and a Systems Thinking (ST) questionnaire that 117 engineering students finished, as well as a basic Systems Engineering diagnostics activity (SEDA) that 23 sophomore engineering students completed. Cross-comparisons were conducted between the ST survey and the SEDA to test the validity of the survey questions. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed to assess the degree of STS of the engineering students that participated in the study. The findings from the current study contribute to the knowledge and assessment of undergraduate engineering students' STS.