Assessing Student Perspectives on Engineering Leadership Education in Canada

Engineering leadership (EL) is gaining global attention due to its importance in engineering practices. This study aims to explore undergraduate students' experiences with EL programs in Canada by analyzing 13 peer-reviewed full papers published in CEEA-ACÉG Proceedings over the last 15 years. Findings revealed that EL programs successfully developed students' leadership competencies, such as self-awareness, interpersonal skills, collaboration, and organizational skills. Moreover, students were satisfied with their EL experience and appreciated activities that have a tangible impact on their community. However, communication skills were a major barrier to effective leadership in engineering teams. Nonetheless, only a small number of research studies have examined minoritized students' experiences in EL programs and the implementation of EL in capstone design courses. Future research could leverage the findings from this study to explore the experiences of underrepresented engineering students in leadership-related programs, as well as the potential for implementing EL in capstone design courses.