Transforming Engineering Education: Motivational dynamics and societal relevance through Challenge-based Learning and authentic, real-world educational experiences.

This doctoral thesis explores motivation in engineering education through authentic, real-world orientated learning experiences, focusing on Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), Work Industry-related Activities (WIAs), and STEM outreach. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), it examines how these practices can support or hinder students’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness across educational stages from pre-university to postgraduate levels. Study I reveals that meaningful WIAs that are aligned with student goals enhance motivation and professional identity, while employer-driven tasks may undermine it. Study II’s scoping review identifies a predominance of quantitative research on CBL and student motivation, with limited theory-informed qualitative analysis. Study III analyses student experience data using SDT to show that CBL fosters motivation through autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The same data show that frustration of these psychological needs leads to disengagement. Study IV analyzes Nordic STEM outreach, finding strong support for relatedness and competence but highlighting gaps in fostering autonomy and sustaining long-term interest. The findings emphasize that motivation is enhanced when educational experiences are authentic, relevant, and connected to career aspirations. Motivation, however, is fragile and can be undermined by externally imposed or poorly aligned tasks. Structural tensions arise when pedagogies prioritize market or institutional agendas over student agency, limiting meaningful engagement. This research extends SDT’s application in engineering education beyond classrooms to complex, interdisciplinary contexts. It advocates for “need-liberatory pedagogy” that empowers students as active knowledge co-creators, fostering curiosity, sustainability, and ethical responsibility. Practical implications include designing pedagogies aligned with SDT, promoting inclusive outreach, and embedding psychological metrics in policy and evaluation. The thesis ...