Fostering Entrepreneurial Competencies through Sustainable Digital Fabrication and Active Methodologies: Independent Educational Interventions in Higher and Secondary Education in Panama

Abstract

This study compares two independent educational interventions in Panama designed to foster entrepreneurial competencies through sustainability challenges, active learning, and digital fabrication. The first, implemented with final-year industrial engineering students, involved designing sustainable products from recycled HDPE while integrating flipped and mirror classroom strategies, circular economy principles, and green entrepreneurship. The second engaged secondary school students from public institutions through Design Thinking, challenge-based learning, and CAD/CAM training to address local sustainability issues aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Both interventions employed pre- and post-assessment instruments to evaluate learning outcomes. In higher education, knowledge acquisition and key competencies such as collaboration, strategic thinking, and contextualization demonstrated large to medium effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.90 and 0.74). In secondary education, all competencies, including teamwork, innovation, sustainability awareness, and technical skills, showed large effects (d > 0.8). Together, these findings highlight the effectiveness of integrating active methodologies and digital fabrication in promoting sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship across educational levels.