The relevance of the mechanical engineering curriculum as perceived by practitioners in industry and the academe in region VII with a proposed educational framework / Isagani Desierto Lepiten.

Dissertation (Doctor of Education) -- Silliman University, March 1993.

The study is aimed primarily to determine the relevance of the mechanical engineering curriculum. In pursuing this, four other related areas were investigated:
1. The components of the mechanical engineering degree program;
2. The orientation of the mechanical engineering degree program;
3. The curricular structure; and
4. The mechanism for continuous instructional development and improvement.
The research employs the descriptive survey method. The research respondents are the mechanical engineering practitioners in industry and the academe in Region VII; that is, Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental. A pre-tested questionnaire is used in the survey. A census survey has also been conducted among mechanical engineering faculty members and engineering deans of school offering a complete mechanical engineering degree program.
For the industrial practitioners, the survey has been administered to all mechanical engineers who attended their respective local PSME (Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers) Chapter conventions. There are a total of 382 respondents involved broken down as follows; 8 deans, 44 faculty members, 94 private practitioners and 246 industry-employed practitioners. A four-point scale is used to measure the relevance:
1 : Very Irrelevant
2 : Irrelevant
3 : Relevant
4 : Very Relevant
Relative frequencies are likewise calculated as needed.
The study reveals that Filipino 1 (Basic Communication Skills), Filipino 2 ( Survey & Readings of Pilipino Literatures), Rizal?s Work and Land Reform are generally perceived by the respondents as irrelevant courses. The combined scale point marks for these courses ranges from 1.92 to 2.39 (Table 5, p. 97). In like manner, General Psychology, Philosophy, New Philippine Constitution, Taxation, Current Issues, Philippine National Government, CMT and PE are scale point marks between 2.5 and 3.0 (Table 6, p.98). The physical sciences, mathematics, engineering technology courses and professional courses receive scale point marks above 3.0 and therefore are considered as relevant courses. All the basic engineering courses except Surveying and Geology are given scale point marks above 3. Surveying has a scale point mark of 2.83; whereas Geology has a mark 2.84.
Ninety point zero five (90.05%) percent of the respondents perceive that curriculum design and development must be based on the concept that students must be prepared to assume industrial responsibilities, must be able to do research and development activities, and at the same time must be made aware of their social, moral, and ethical responsibilities. Thirty five point twenty one (35.21%) percent have declared that the curriculum must be planned and developed to offer general education (Core of non-technical courses) and general technical education (Basic engineering courses) plus different streams or fields of mechanical engineering specialization. The study further reveals that the curriculum must be planned in such a way that the students have the option to either follow a research-oriented curriculum or industrial practice oriented curriculum. Three hundred three respondents or 79.32% are in favor of this kind of streaming. The academic program must include instruction, research, development and community service. This kind of programming have been endorsed by 221 respondents or 58.16%. The respondents also strongly underscore the importance of industrial and societal inputs to academic instruction. In like manner, the exhaustive review of literature reveals parallel findings with those from the respondents surveyed.
The study concludes that the present curriculum contains some irrelevant courses and therefore has propose that the degree program should still be a 5-year course of fulltime study with the final year devoted to specialization. It has to be designed to prepare men and women for positions as engineers in industry and the academe with orientation in research and industrial practice. The program should also offer professional preparation including general education and an engineering core covering the basic engineering courses as well as the basic engineering sciences common to a broad range of engineering areas.
The study recommends a curricular structure wherein during the first two years, the student receive a thorough grounding in the core of general education courses and basic engineering courses common to many engineering disciplines. The professional courses are to be divided into two divisions, lower and upper. The lower division is offered in the third and fourth years. These are general mechanical engineering courses common to all fields of mechanical engineering specializations. The upper division is offered in the fifth year. In the final year, more specialized areas are given to provide students with the opportunity to devote greater attention to particular studies which they find most interesting. Community service is also offered as a summer course.
Recommendations for future-related studies are also included in the study.
The study further recommends an educational framework with 4 major components:
1. The sources of ideas or information;
2. The curricular structure;
3. The mechanism for constant instructional and curricular design and development; and
4. An Evaluation and Program Implementation Board or Committee.
The study also finally includes a Plan of Action to articulate meaningfully the findings, conclusions and recommendations.