Digital technology–mediated engagement and the formation of complex capabilities in undergraduate engineering students

Abstract Background The formation of complex capabilities in engineering students is closely linked to how they engage in learning tasks that require judgment and adaptation. As digital technology becomes part of everyday learning environments, it shapes the ways students participate in and respond to these tasks. However, prior research has often focused on the outcomes of specific technologies rather than on how students' technology‐mediated engagement contributes to the formation of complex capabilities. Purpose This study aims to develop a process‐oriented theory that explains how digital technology–mediated engagement supports the formation of complex capabilities among undergraduate engineering students based on their own accounts. Design/Method A grounded theory approach was employed. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 24 undergraduate engineering students across various universities in China. Interview data were coded through open, axial, and selective coding to construct the theoretical model. Results The analysis yielded a theoretical model titled “The Student‐Driven Pathway of Complex Capability Cultivation through Digital Technology–Mediated Engagement.” This model describes how students engage with and adapt to technology within specific learning contexts, and how this engagement contributes to the development of complex capabilities. Conclusions The findings show that capability development is an active, student‐driven process shaped by how students make sense of and respond to technological challenges. The study provides insights that can support the design of learning environments that foster meaningful engagement and capability formation in engineering education.