عنوان

The education of technological innovators :

Number

TLets630688

Title Proper

The education of technological innovators :

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Mohamed, Mohamed Atef MogahedMohamed, Mohamed Atef Mogahed

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

University College London (University of London)

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

1987

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Thesis (Ph.D.)

Text preceding or following the note

1987

Text of Note

In view of the significance of engineering and of technological innovators or engineers in solving development problems as well as creating others, the engineering curriculum has not adequately responded to the requirements of the engineering function within modern world conditions. These conditions have been rapidly and continually changing and the problems have been changing and growing in complexity. Such an inadequate response has been recognised and attempts for reforming the engineering curriculum have been made. The attempts have manifested a shift away from the traditional model of the curriculum. Still, the overall response of the engineering curriculum to the demands of multidimensionality and complexity of development problems remains inadequate; the purely technical dimension of the engineering curriculum has been the main focus, while the non-technical dimensions have been neglected. Instead of responding by bending under pressure from immediate circumstances, or by continuing to be guided by earlier views which may have served their specific times and conditions, appropriate views on man, society and knowledge are needed to guide the reform of the engineering curriculum. Pragmatist views, represented by Dewey's, are suggested as a potential guide for the needed reform. For successful implementation of the reform of the engineering curriculum under pragmatist guidance in the Saudi Arabian context, resources and obstacles are identified. Islam, the adopted religion in the Saudi context, may seem to represent an obstacle. Contrarily, in spite of fundamental differences between Islam and pragmatist views, Islam can, in fact, accommodate the suggested pragmatist views for guiding the reform of the engineering curriculum in the Saudi context.

Institute of Education (University of London)

University College London (University of London)

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y