AN INVESTIGATION INTO SPECIFIC SKILLS REQUIRING ENHANCEMENT IN QATARI HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO SUCCEED IN AN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

All new engineering students attending Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ), undertake a course entitled 'The Foundations of Engineering' in their first year of study. This course is structured to introduce them to engineering skills, specifically engineering design. It is aimed at helping students gain a clear understanding of 'what engineering is all about'. While engineering requires the application of mathematics and scientific knowledge, it is this design process and the practical nature of the problems tackled that best distinguish engineering. Most students enrolled come prepared with the necessary skills in mathematics and the sciences, but lack the ability to apply the abstract concepts learned in these subjects to devise a solution to a real life problem. However, given the wide range of curricula and educational systems adopted in the secondary schools in Qatar, it is not possible to pinpoint the exact reasons for the difficulties faced by our first year students at TAMUQ without a longitudinal investigation. Consequently, the goal of this research is to investigate the method Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) material is presented to secondary school students in Qatar and if any engineering principles are integrated into the STEM curricula. By properly identifying specific skills needing enhancement in the new students, it is possible to restructure the material presented in the 'Foundations of Engineering' course to improve the student's experience, encourage retention, and increase their competency level. It is in this context that surveys were conducted with both students and teachers, and also the current instructional materials and curricula used in local secondary schools were revised as well. Results indicate that high school students are receiving limited exposure to the key engineering skills such as design, problem solving, and teamwork. Using the results from this study, recommendations for tailoring, course material in 'The Foundations of Engineering 1' will be introduced to meet the deficiencies identified in our study.