European engineering students’ perception of learning and teaching activities

STEM universities in Europe apply different pedagogical and didactic methods, which are reflected in the learning activities that are organised for the students. These activities provide students with different experiences in terms of handling their learning and in terms of achievement. There is great variation in terms of both semester structure and how teaching is carried out. A significant commonality is that besides technical domain skills and competencies, there are expectations (or demands) placed on students regarding acquisition of interdisciplinary skills and transversal competences. The goal of this study is to illuminate students’ perception of the various learning activities and teaching practices provided at STEM universities in Europe and to illuminate different perspectives of students’ learning experiences. The goal is also to influence educators to implement increased use of student-centred learning approaches The study was conducted through a survey disseminated through a European STEM students’ network. Of the 349 respondents, 133 were determined as valid for extracting the conclusions. The survey included an open question where students were asked to describe a situation where they ‘had significant learning accomplishment’. The survey also contained
multiple-choice questions that aimed to create the profile of each respondent, based on their study structure and background. The answers were categorised according to contemporary learning theory. The profiles of the students were used to compare their experiences and draw conclusions based on students’ perceptions of their learning experiences. Based on the theoretical framework, the findings show that students’ responses point to experiences of interaction processes (with peers or teachers) to a higher degree than experiences with acquisition processes (with content or with motivation). Recommendations point towards implementing a higher degree of student centred learning coupled with intensive teacher support. In addition, the development of students’ reflective skills may
improve their learning practices and thus increase their acquisition of skills and
competencies.