Study of Secondary and Higher Secondary School Syllabi in India to Develop Engineering Thinking

In this article, the authors explore and understand what constitutes engineering thinking and whether secondary and higher secondary school curricula in India empower students to make an informed decision regarding engineering as a career choice. To analyse the elements of engineering thinking, the principles of K12 level engineering by t he Na t io nal Aca demy of E nginee ri ng a nd Engineering Habits of Mind (EHoM) by the Royal Academy of Engineering are referred to. The syllabi of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and four Indian states (Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka) are studied, which reveal that CBSE includes only one element of EHoM (creative problem-solving) in higher secondary grade curriculum. The syllabi of four Indian states revealed that the principles identified by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) are missing in both grades. As an exception, the syllabus of Maharashtra has a creative problem-solving element in class-12 of higher secondary grades. The authors believe that introducing engineering thinking in schools will empower students to choose engineering as a career.