Innovations in Evaluating Individual Competencies within Team Dynamics in STEM Education

The development of competencies is vital in academic training, especially in engineering, where technical, collaborative, and multidisciplinary skills are essential. However, assessing these competencies in team projects poses challenges, primarily in distinguishing individual contributions, leading to potentially subjective evaluations. Differences in students' skill levels further complicate this process. Despite these difficulties, collaborative work is crucial for building the professional and multicultural skills needed in today's global job market. This research introduces an innovative evaluation strategy to better assess individual contributions within teams. The methodology includes a two-phase individual questionnaire. In the first phase, students outline a solution to a problem in defined steps to ensure comprehensive involvement and understanding. They then correct an intentionally misformulated question, demonstrating their ability to identify and justify corrections. The second phase involves exercises to assess students' grasp of key theoretical concepts applied during their projects. Results showed a more balanced grade distribution and diverse competency development compared to previous semesters. This indicated that not all students develop competencies uniformly, emphasizing the need for tailored teaching and assessment. This study also opens paths for future research on promoting women's participation in STEM, with a focus on equitable development strategies in team settings. (Abstract)