Limited Integration of Transdisciplinary Skills in German mechanical engineering education – Insights from Thematic Analysis of Module Handbooks

Research Paper Recommended citation: Hunger, K., & Ahrens, F. (2025). Limited Integration of Transdisciplinary Skills in German mechanical engineering education – Insights from Thematic Analysis of Module Handbooks. In Kangaslampi, R., Langie, G., Järvinen, H.-M., & Nagy, B. (Eds.), SEFI 53rd Annual Conference. European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), Tampere, Finland. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17631591. This Conference Paper is brought to you for open access by the 53rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) at Tampere University in Tampere, Finland. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License. LIMITED INTEGRATION OF TRANSDISCIPLINARY SKILLS IN GERMAN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION – INSIGHTS FROM THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF MODULE HANDBOOKS K. Hunger a,1, F. Ahrens b a Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany, https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4194-502X b Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7353-7074 Conference Key Areas: Engineering skills, professional skills, and transversal skills; Sustainability and society in engineering Keywords: transdisciplinary engineering, engineering education, skills and competencies, curriculum analysis, higher education ABSTRACT Engineers require the transdisciplinary skills and competencies to tackle the wicked problems encountered in real world situations, such as system transitions involving aspects of sustainability, society and technology. State of the art knowledge indicates that relevant skills and competencies for transdisciplinary engineering are interand intrapersonal competencies; reflection of values, normativity and biases; stakeholder engagement and management; systems thinking; skills for dealing with wicked problems; skills for whole-systems engineering design; and skills for implementation and demonstration of new socio-technical system designs. However, it is unclear if and to what extend current engineering education embeds the identified skills and competencies for transdisciplinary engineering in the curricula. This article investigated the transdisciplinarity of engineering curricula for German TU9 universities of technology. Thematic analysis of undergraduate and postgraduate module handbooks was carried out using a novel framework for transdisciplinary engineering skills and competences. The analysis of 17 module handbooks revealed that the integration of transdisciplinary skills in mechanical engineering programmes is unevenly distributed across TU9 universities. While skills for real-world practice are commonly addressed, skills for dealing with the ambiguity of wicked problems and for whole-systems engineering remain underrepresented in the curricula. 1 Corresponding Author K. Hunger [email protected] 1 INTRODUCTION Wicked problems were first characterised as problems of planning and policy, in which the increasing complexity of competing social, economic and technical perspectives has led to unsolvable problems (Rittel & Webber, 1973). Today, engineers face wicked problems when trying to solve the dissonant and paradoxical issues of unsustainable energy and material use in engineered socio-technical systems. Socially relevant wicked problems are unlikely to be solved by reductionistic, fragmented, business-as-usual or specialised engineering approaches (Seager et al., 2012). Transdisciplinary engineering is an emergent integrated approach for enabling engineers to deal with wicked problems such as the socio, technical, ecological and economic transformations towards sustainability (Wognum et al., 2019). Transdisciplinary engineering promises to widen engineering horizons and to converge rigorous engineering design, modelling and development with the transdisciplinary knowledge creation process (Lawrence et al., 2022). Engineering associations have been calling for future engineers to have the skills and competencies to work across disciplines, resolve climate challenges and respond to 21st century wicked problems with long-term foresight and social responsibility (Germany (VDI, n.d.); USA (ASME, n.d.); UK (RAE, n.d.)). Education in transdisciplinary engineering could equip future engineers with the people, systems and problem solving skills required for tackling wicked problems (Batres, 2022; Peters et al., 2024; Tejedor et al., 2018). While the requirements for transdisciplinary engineering education are well understood (Wognum et al., 2019), there is a gap in knowledge if and how current engineering curricula implement these requirements. In response to the identified gap, first we devise a framework of skills and competencies for transdisciplinary engineering and then address the issue of “How fit-for-transdisciplinary-purpose is the current state of engineering education?”. We use German engineering education as a case study and the results demonstrate relevance for European engineering education, as Germany has the most engineering graduates in the EU (Eurostat, n.d.). We examine whether the TU9 Alliance’s key objective to drive societal transformation through interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and education to “develop creative solutions for the complex global challenges of today and tomorrow” (TU9, n.d.) is integrated into the curricula of the participating universities. We choose the TU9 universities as they claim to be the “leading Universities of Technology in Germany” (TU9, n.d.). We investigate how the curricula of the TU9 mechanical engineering programs equip future engineers with the skills and competencies needed to tackle complex societal challenges. We select mechanical engineering as a proxy for engineering degrees as mechanical engineering has the highest share of students among traditional engineering disciplines in Germany excluding computer science (Destatis, 2024). Section 2 presents the framework of skills and competencies for transdisciplinary engineering based on insights from literature research. Section 3 explains the methodology for examining and analysing the module handbooks of the engineering degrees. Section 4 documents the results of the thematic coding analysis to answer the research question of “To what extend do the mechanical engineering programs at TU9 universities address skills and competencies for transdisciplinary engineering?”. Section 5 discusses and summarises the research results. 2 FRAMEWORK OF SKILLS FOR TRANSDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING We propose that the transdisciplinary engineering process (see figure 1) should be based in the iterative and participatory three-phase process of transdisciplinary research of 1) problem framing and team building, 2) co-creation of knowledge and 3) integration and application of knowledge (Jahn et al., 2012). First, transdisciplinary engineering requires identification of stakeholders and framing of wicked problems to understand challenges and pressures. Then, transdisciplinary engineering design focusses on the co-development of transformative engineering concepts. Lastly, the concepts require engineering and implementation in the real world. Skills and competencies for transdisciplinary engineering This section lays out a framework of skills and competencies for transdisciplinary engineering. The framework of skills and competencies was developed through literature research in the fields in sustainability-oriented transdisciplinary research (Brundiers et al., 2021; Wiek et al., 2011) and transdisciplinary engineering (Banwell & Roelens, 2024; Batres, 2022; López Garay & Reyes, 2019; Peters et al., 2024; Poursharif et al., 2021; Tejedor et al., 2018; Wehrmann & Smits, 2022; Wilson & Mukhopadhyaya, 2022), and then mapping the identified skills and competencies on the transdisciplinary engineering process. Figure 1 is a schematic of the skills and competencies framework for transdisciplinary engineering. Fig. 1. Schematic representation of the skills and competencies framework for transdisciplinary engineering Skills for real-world practice are the fundamentals for transdisciplinary engineering to navigate participatory real-world issues (Lawrence et al., 2022). Within these skills we identified interand intrapersonal competencies; competencies for reflecting values, normativity and biases; competencies for stakeholder engagement and management; and systems thinking competencies. Interpersonal competency is the ability for collaborating in participatory problem solving contexts (Brundiers et al., 2021; Wiek et al., 2011), while intrapersonal competency is the ability of selfawareness (Brundiers et al., 2021). Empathy is highlighted as a core ability for understanding not just technical engineering issues but also social and human factors (Wilson & Mukhopadhyaya, 2022). Competencies for reflecting values, normativity and biases are required for understanding the social constructs and diverse perspectives relating to wicked problems encountered in transdisciplinary Skills for real-world practice Interand intrapersonal competencies Reflection of values, normativity and bias Stakeholder engagement/ management Systems thinking Transdisciplinary Engineering Process Skills for dealing with wicked problems Anticipation and futures thinking Tolerance for ambiguity Ability to challenge conventional disciplinary thinking Problem analysis Skills for whole systems engineering design Ingenuity and creativity Ethics and responsibility Participatory design approaches Strategic thinking Skills for implementation and demonstration of new socio-technical system designs Implementation competencies engineering (Peters et al., 2024; Tejedor et al., 2018). Questioning the status quo of existing normativity can be achieved through purposefully changing and reflecting perspectives (Peters et al., 2024; Wiek et al., 2011). Competencies for stakeholder engagement and management enable transdisciplinary engineers to understand and listen to diverse stakeholder perspectives in an inclusive and ethical way, beyond consulting end users towards leveraging local knowledge and experience for transdisciplinary engineering projects (Batres, 2022; Tejedor et al., 2018). All skills for real-world practice (and transdisciplinary engineering in general) require systems thinking competencies (Banwell & Roelens, 2024; López Garay & Reyes, 2019; Wiek et al., 2011) for analysing and understanding complex systems to support the holistic assessment of solutions on social, environmental, technological and economic scales. Systems thinking enables the exploration the root causes of wicked problems and developing subsequent systemic interventions to resolve the wicked problems. Skills for dealing with wicked problems are anticipation and futures thinking, tolerance for ambiguity, problem analysis and the ability to challenge conventional disciplinary thinking. Anticipation and futures thinking enable transdisciplinary engineers to separate their problem framing from current locked-in thinking towards a future where the encountered wicked problem has been resolved (Brundiers et al., 2021; Wiek et al., 2011). Tolerance for ambiguity is required for confronting and dealing with uncertain situations, opposing views or paradoxes embedded in wicked problems with flexibility and open-mindedness (Peters et al., 2024; Tejedor et al., 2018; Wehrmann & Smits, 2022). Wicked problems are recognised to resist disciplinary solutions, which is why transdisciplinary engineers should be equipped with the ability to challenge and understand the shortcomings of conventional thinking that has led to the problems in the first place (Peters et al., 2024). Skills for whole systems engineering design are ingenuity and creativity, ethics and responsibility, participatory design approaches and strategic thinking. Ingenuity and creativity enable the transdisciplinary engineer to think unconventionally and to develop original, pathbreaking ideas (Ahrens et al., 2024; Poursharif et al., 2021). Ethical responsibility is required to challenge techno solutionism, be assess and be aware of potential impacts of developed interventions, and to identify social, environmental and climate injustices of interventions (Banwell & Roelens, 2024; Peters et al., 2024). Co-design competencies such as design thinking enable inclusive and participatory co-development of interventions between actors and transdisciplinary engineers. Skills for the implementation and demonstration of co-developed interventions involve the competencies to “engineer” the embodiment of the intervention concepts, and to iteratively monitor and evaluate the real-world performance and adapt the design if necessary (Brundiers et al., 2021). 3 METHODOLOGY: THEMATIC CODING ANALYSIS We based our investigation on similar studies that analyse module handbooks (Kerres, Michael & Schmidt, Andreas, 2020; Schuelke-Leech, 2020; Vo & Pancratz, 2023). Our analysis included 17 module handbooks from bachelor’s, master’s and graduate engineering (German “Diplom Ingenieur”) programs in mechanical engineering at TU9 universities: RWTH Aachen (RWTH, 2025a, 2025b), Technische Universität Berlin (TUB, 2025a, 2025b), Technische Universität Braunschweig (TUBS, 2025a, 2025b), Technische Universität Darmstadt (TUDa, 2025a, 2025b), Technische Universität Dresden (TUD, 2025), Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH, 2025b, 2025a), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT, 2025b, 2025a), Technische Universität München (TUM, 2025b, 2025a), Universität Stuttgart (US, 2025a, 2025b). In the German university context, module handbooks are issued by the university and list all modules available within a degree program, including both compulsory and elective courses. Only the latest versions of module handbooks available as of February 2025 were used, provided that they were accessible in PDF format. The qualitative data in the module handbooks, such as competency descriptions and learning objectives, were analysed following the systematic approach of thematic coding analysis (Mayring & Fenzl, 2022, p. 6; Robson, 2024, p. 573 ff.). We used the terminology of the skills (themes) and competencies (subthemes) from the framework for transdisciplinary engineering to code the data set following the principles of Framework Analysis (Spencer et al., 2014, p. 298). We developed a coding scheme to index text and to identify, organise and interpret themes in the data (King & Brooks, 2018, p. 219 f.) We identified relevant search terms (including synonyms) based on the skills and competencies defined in the framework for transdisciplinary engineering ensuring alignment with the terminology commonly used in educational discourse. For example, the German equivalent translation of search terms such as “critical”, “to reflect”, “reflection”, “bias” and “to question” were used for the competency of reflection of values, normativity and bias. In the data analysis we quantitively identified trends in the frequency of appearance of search terms in the description of relevant modules. Then we systematically coded the contents and learning objectives of the modules, and categorised the codes according to the framework for transdisciplinary engineering to determine which skills and competencies are addressed in the curricula. We excluded disciplinary courses (i.e., “sports engineering”) that address problems solely through the specialised methodologies of their respective fields even if they contained relevant search terms to ensure a focus on genuinely transdisciplinary education. 4 RESULTS This section presents key findings of the thematic coding analysis of transdisciplinary skills and competencies in mechanical engineering curricula across the TU9. The first finding was that no overarching statement could be made for all of the TU9. The structure and content of the module handbooks varied significantly across universities, reflecting diverse curricular emphases and organisational approaches, which was to be expected. Nevertheless, clear differences in the frequency of relevant courses (per degree and university) addressing transdisciplinary engineering competencies were observed. RWTH, KIT and TUM offered more courses that impart transdisciplinary competencies compared to universities like TUDa, US, LUH, TUD, TUB and TUBS. Differences in the representation of transdisciplinary engineering skills were observed as a noticeable disparity in the number of relevant courses offered in bachelor’s and master’s programs respectively. Bachelor’s programs tended to include fewer relevant modules, likely due to a stronger emphasis on foundational engineering education and a reduced number of elective courses (Axelithioti et al., 2023). It appeared that bachelor’s programs place less focus on transdisciplinary competencies, concentrating instead on technical fundamentals. Transdisciplinary engineering competencies were often integrated into courses on design, product development and entrepreneurship at those universities with fewer modules directly dedicated to transdisciplinarity. These courses did not explicitly define transdisciplinary learning as their primary objective. In contrast, RWTH, KIT and TUM included dedicated courses in their mechanical engineering curricula that specifically address ethical and transdisciplinary competencies in their learning objectives. Some universities offered modules on teamwork (KIT) and soft skills (TUM) to equip students with competencies such as communication, independence and openness to different perspectives. However, these interand intrapersonal competencies were rarely embedded within a transdisciplinary engineering context. Only few modules embedded transdisciplinary collaboration as a core element or actively utilised transdisciplinary collaboration to address wicked problems (TUB, LUH). Still, most universities offered interdisciplinary and inter-cultural modules, which contribute to fostering broader perspectives in engineering education (TU Da, TUB, US, TUD, RWTH, TUM, LUH, KIT). Skills for real-world practice Skills for real-world practice appeared most frequently across all curricula compared to other skill categories. Interand intrapersonal competencies related to personal development, empathy, decision-making and action-oriented problem-solving were repeatedly mentioned. Open-mindedness to different perspectives (related to empathy) was described in most module handbooks as the ability to express one's own viewpoint while critically reflecting on perspectives of others. This was explicitly mentioned at KIT, LUH and TUM. TUB referred to this competency as “perspective change”, while RWTH Aachen emphasised “raising awareness for different viewpoints” as a learning objective in several modules. Open-mindedness to different perspective was sometimes linked to intercultural experiences, particularly at TUDa. Most TU9 universities incorporated group work into many relevant courses, fostering interpersonal skills such as communication and role awareness, focussing on understanding group processes and collaborative problem-solving. Critical reflection of normativity and biases were closely linked to perspective-taking, empathy and participation. At least one course at most TU9 universities explicitly included critical reflection as a learning objective. The competencies for reflection of normativity and biases also encompassed self-reflection and reflecting the role of engineers in society. In one example, students critically examined the role of engineers in social and political contexts, encouraging students to reflect on “technological development within its societal and political condition” (TUDa). A module at KIT focused on training students in debate techniques, critical thinking and handling of conflicting information, aiming to equip students with the ability to involve diverse stakeholders in decision-making processes. Participation and stakeholder engagement were less frequently found in the module handbooks. Competencies for participation and stakeholder engagement appear primarily in courses at TUB, TUD, RWTH, TUM and KIT, where students engaged with methods such as stakeholder analysis, stakeholder workshops, stakeholder interviews and participatory decision-making. At TUD, stakeholder perspectives were integrated into creative design and construction courses, emphasising user-centred design approaches. While the competency of systems thinking only appeared by name once, systems thinking was represented implicitly in modules that impart skills for dealing with wicked problems and whole-systems engineering. Skills for dealing with wicked problems Dealing with wicked problems ranked as the third most frequently addressed skill category across TU9 universities. TUB, RWTH and KIT exhibited a strong focus on skills for dealing with wicked problems, and at all other universities at least one course addressed these skills. Tolerance for ambiguity was among the most frequently named competencies in this category, including the ability to classify and navigate complex and uncertain problems. Students were introduced to conflicts between ecological, economic and social sustainability (TUDa, TUB), holistic thinking (TUB) and dealing with “ill-defined problems with no clear solution” (TUM). Future thinking and anticipation competencies were represented at TUB, US, RWTH, TUM, LUH and KIT. At TUB, students were encouraged to reflect on future engineering practice in both research and industry from a societal perspective. RWTH explicitly integrated methods and processes of future studies into its curriculum. The competency area of problem analysis was rarely mentioned. At LUH, students systematically analysed and solved highly complex problems with uncertain or unknown causes. TUB incorporated Critical Design Thinking, while KIT, RWTH and TUM offered modules that train students to independently identify complex problems. Questioning disciplinary thinking appeared in some modules at TUDa, RWTH, TUM and KIT, typically in interdisciplinary courses or those incorporating ethical and societal reflections. Skills for whole-systems engineering design Skills related to whole-systems engineering appeared as the second most frequent skill category. TUB and TUM stood out in this regard, while all other universities included at least four courses covering this aspect. The competencies for ingenuity and creativity were predominantly integrated into courses on design, sustainability and product development. At RWTH, one module focussed on assessing ethical implications and technology impact evaluation. The competency area of ethics and responsibility, which encompasses the evaluation of ethical implications, technological consequences and the reflection of responsibilities in technological development, played a significant role in the curricula. Nearly every university offered courses at both the bachelor's and master's levels that aim to foster these competencies. Terms such as “societal responsibility”, “sustainability”, “technology impact assessment”, “ethical considerations in technology” and “participatory methodologies” appeared explicitly in the module handbooks from TUBS, TUB, TUD, RWTH, TUM, LUH and KIT. Participatory methods and approaches, as well as participatory design, were relatively rare. Skills related to implementation and demonstration Skills related to implementation and demonstration were rarely addressed, potentially due to the challenges of implementing and testing solutions within the university setting, given constraints on time and resources. RWTH stood out as offering the highest number of courses in this category, while all other universities included at least one relevant course. Strategic problem-solving was encouraged in several courses by requiring students to independently identify, analyse and solve problems (TUBS, RWTH). Courses emphasised systematic and holistic problemsolving (TUB, LUH) and trained students to “generate, evaluate, and select solution variants” (TUDa, RWTH, TUM). However, actual transfer of solutions in real-world settings was rarely mentioned. Capstone courses across TU9 institutions served as key platforms for applied problem-solving and knowledge transfer, designed to enable students to engage with process-oriented and creative challenges. 5 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS This article investigated if and how current engineering education imparts transdisciplinary engineering skills and competencies, using thematic analysis methods and a case study of German mechanical engineering education. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first study that analysed transdisciplinary engineering skills in German mechanical engineering education. The results indicate that the core objective of equipping future engineers with the competencies needed to address complex societal challenges is only partially integrated into the curricula of TU9 universities. Schulke-Leech (2020) constitute a similar view in their study of Canadian and American degree programs. They found that wicked problems with no pre-defined solution space are currently out the scope of engineering curriculum. The findings of our study offer an overview of how transdisciplinary skills and competencies are currently embedded in mechanical engineering programs and identify potential for further development, particularly in aligning educational practice with the TU9 alliance’s declared ambition to contribute to solving societal challenges. This paper highlights relevant areas for action in curriculum development and in the design of modules. The module handbooks of KIT, RWTH and TUM can serve as a model for closing gaps to holistically teach and integrate transdisciplinary skills in the curricula (Batres, 2022). Competencies related to problem definition and problem analysis were among the most frequently addressed in current curricula. One possible explanation is that engineering education has a long-standing tradition of emphasising practical applications, using case studies and real-world scenarios as learning tools (Mckenzie et al., 2024; Schuelke-Leech, 2020). Skills for wholesystems engineering design were the second most common, often taking the form of conceptual and systemic design processes leading up to embodied design. These competencies are typically developed through the application of engineering methods aimed at framing and solving complex problems. Skills for implementation and demonstration—such as detailed design, testing, and real-world application of solutions—are rarely included in course objectives or teaching formats. This suggests a gap between conceptual solution development and its practical realization within academic settings. Our study’s findings are supported by current views on higher engineering education (Axelithioti et al., 2023), which emphasise its role as a starting point in a lifelong learning process. The growing integration of complex and socially relevant themes like mitigation and adaptation to climate change highlights a shift toward holistic problem-solving. Adapting curricula accordingly can improve the practical readiness of engineering graduates for transdisciplinary practice. Limitations of this study are the varying levels of detail in module descriptions and stated learning objectives across universities (making comparisons challenging) and different languages in some module handbooks (potentially affecting the consistency of search term identification). Module handbooks reflect only the intended curriculum; they do not provide information about how content is actually taught or implemented in practice. Future work could include electrical engineering and civil engineering studies to generate an even broader understanding. This paper identified areas for action in curriculum design and the development of new modules and module handbooks. This paper laid the empirical stepping stone for future action to focus on “engineering” the engineering curricula to impart transdisciplinary skills and competencies. Disclosure: ChatGPT was used to improve readability of parts of the work.