Evaluation of academic productivity of citizen competencies in the teaching of engineering by using the Malmquist index

Abstract

This research analyzed productivity in the formation of citizen skills in engineering education. The population (57,520 students) included 92 Colombian undergraduate engineering degree programs (industrial, mechanical, civil, systems, and environmental) that were examined in the national exam SABER PRO in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Productivity indexes and objective improvement values were determined using the Malmquist index and the principal component analysis. Input variables were competencies in quantitative reasoning, critical reading, written communication, and English. The response variable was the result of the evaluation in citizen competency. The results showed that the environmental and civil engineering programs were not productive in 2017. Industrial engineering presented the highest variability between periods. It is concluded that English was the critical factor for improving productivity in citizen competency.