Many countries across the world are struggling to catalyse a national momentum for systemic change in engineering education. Chile, however, appears to be bucking this trend. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of the reform initiatives in this country have focused on the establishment of an outcomes-based education, with entrepreneurship and innovation (E&I) and problem based learning (PBL) often featuring prominently. Identifying the nature of and drivers for engineering education reform in Chile would provide valuable insight for the regional and international engineering education community in the design of future strategies for change.

The study mapped educational innovation and change in engineering within Chile. Focusing on selected engineering schools that have achieved positive and well-regarded educational change, it explored the drivers, facilitators and barriers to engineering education reform across the country. The study draws on one-to-one interviews as its primary evidence-gathering tool, targeting change leaders, senior university managers, engineering faculty, policy makers and other stakeholders supporting or observing educational change in engineering in Chile.