Theoretical Construct for Global Competency Formation in Industrial Engineering: Dynamic Learning, Teacher Mediation, and Global Citizenship

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to generate a theoretical construct for the formation of global competencies in Industrial Engineering students at the Universidad Francisco de Paula Santander (UFPS), Cúcuta, Colombia. In an era characterized by accelerated globalization, the development of global competencies in engineering programs has become imperative to prepare professionals capable of addressing complex, interconnected challenges across borders. Design/methodology/approach: Grounded in the interpretive paradigm, the study employed a phenomenological qualitative methodology following the frameworks of Fuster (2019) and Martínez (2004, 2006). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight key informants—four professors and four students from the Industrial Engineering program—and analyzed through categorization, contrast, and theorization processes. Trustworthiness was ensured through Lincoln and Guba's (1985) criteria of credibility, transferability, consistency, and neutrality.
Findings: Three emergent categories were identified: Global Competencies, Curriculum Pertinence, and Pedagogical Process. From these, five interrelated theoretical subconstructs were derived: (1) studentcentered teaching for global competency acquisition, (2) the teacher as a learning mediator, (3) formative competencies grounded in globality, (4) dynamic and interdependent global learning, and (5) global competencies in industrial engineer formation. The construct integrates experiential learning theory
(Kolb, 1984), constructivism (Vygotsky; Piaget), complexity theory (Morin), and the OECD's (2018) global competence framework. Originality/value: This study contributes an original theoretical framework that articulates how global competencies can be systematically integrated into Industrial Engineering curricula in Latin American contexts, addressing a gap in literature that has predominantly focused on Anglo-Saxon educational settings. The construct positions the teacher as a mediator, the student as an active agent, and global citizenship as a formative horizon.