2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Inclusive pedagogies have been used in education in different areas and times; however, their adoption in engineering has been relatively new. Due to their effectiveness for all students and to the increasing student enrollment with diverse backgrounds in engineering, incorporating inclusive pedagogies in engineering is a requirement. In this study, a systematic literature review (SLR) is conducted to examine the inclusive pedagogy progress and find widely applicable practices that ensure student accessibility. This study sought to answer the overarching research question: What is the current state, trend, and direction for the future related to inclusive teaching practices in engineering? The SLR process included three phases: identification, screening, and synthesis. In the identification phase, seven search terms (inclusive pedagogy + engineering; inclusive teaching practices + engineering; inclusive classroom approaches + engineering; inclusive classroom methods + STEM/engineering; inclusive college classroom + engineering/STEM; inclusive instruction + STEM/engineering; and inclusive college education + STEM/engineering) were used to retrieve articles from different databases. The databases include Web of Science, Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore Library, Scopus, ERIC, Wiley Online Library, and Compendex.

Forty-four articles remained in the pool. Finally, in the synthesis phase, these articles were critically reviewed following the sub research questions, and the information was synthesized to generate themes. Five themes emerged from the forty-four articles. First theme: Using Identity to Foster Engineering Connections, found to be especially helpful for marginalized students. Second theme: Using Technology to Spread Inclusivity, which was particularly helpful for students who had disabilities, those unfamiliar with the language courses were taught in, or the ones who suffered from anxiety. Third theme: Including Student Interests in Engineering, helpful for all students and students who were unfamiliar engineering material. Fourth theme: Active Learning Skill Development for Marginalized Students, where underrepresented students had a way to engage more comfortably and learn career skills. Fifth theme: Inclusivity Pitfalls and Future, which revealed existing problems in engineering pedagogy framework and described places where it failed underrepresented students. These findings are relevant and timely as engineering education is growing and witnessing increasing students with diverse needs. 

Keywords: inclusivity needs, inclusive pedagogy, inclusive teaching practices, engineering pedagogy, inclusive engineering pedagogy, inclusive engineering, engineering teaching practices