Integrating Environmental Education into Petroleum Engineering: A Global Framework with Insights from the Colombian Case
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Environmental education is essential in the training of Petroleum Engineers, posing a significant challenge for current academic dynamics. This article aims to develop an innovative curriculum proposal to integrate environmental education into Petroleum Engineering programs in Colombia. The study, which is qualitative in nature, draws on Hugo Biagini’s alternative thinking and Edgar Morin’s complex thinking, applying the Systematic Inquiry Pedagogical Approach (EPIS). Documentation from universities and regulatory bodies was analyzed, and opinions from students, faculty, alumni, employers, and communities were gathered through interviews, observations, and surveys. The findings reveal a general interest in integrating environmental education into engineering training, although it is currently limited to fragmented courses. The proposal advocates for a transdisciplinary environmental education that promotes ethical, political, and socio-environmental responsibility, focusing on critical reflection and the integral development of the engineer as a social subject. The proposed education aims to transcend traditional instruction, fostering research, critical thinking, and teamwork through innovative strategies and a systemic approach to addressing the petroleum sector’s environmental and technical challenges.
DOI: 10.54026/jmms/1124
Author: Constanza Vargas-Castellanos
Institution: Universidad Surcolombiana
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
Funder: Universidad Surcolombiana
OpenAlex ID: W4414125113