Reflexive Praxis in Curriculum Transformation: The Case of Engineering Education in the Global South
摘要
This chapter explores the imperative of curriculum transformation in engineering education in the Global South. It also considers the complexities arising from the demands of society and industry, technological advancements (including the 4th Industrial Revolution), sustainability integration, and calls for decolonization and internationalization. Employing content analysis, action learning processes and reflexive praxis, this study examines curriculum transformation in four universities in India, Ethiopia, and South Africa over the past four decades. The findings unveil an evolutionary trajectory aligning with industry and technological advancements, underscored by the pressing need for competency development among graduates. Sustainability integration, entwined with the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs), has progressively gained significance. The challenges posed by the 4th Industrial Revolution have recently emerged as a focal point. While internationalization is widely accepted, debates still surround decolonization in African universities—reflecting differences in scope, context, and knowledge content. Reflexive praxis underscores that although curriculum transformation processes are similar, the premises, socioeconomic contexts, and priorities in the Global South differ from the Global North Higher Education institutions.