Student engagement and perceptions of the educational environment in industrial engineering programs in Jordan

In recent years, increasing attention has been directed toward assessing the educational environment within engineering higher education. Such assessments offer insights that support curriculum adjustments, teaching practices, and improvements to the learning setting. Among the several tools designed to evaluate learning environments, the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) and the University Student Engagement Inventory (USEI) are among the most widely applied. In this study, both DREEM and USEI were distributed among industrial engineering students across six public universities in Jordan, with 400 students completing the questionnaires. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The overall mean DREEM score across all universities was 122, with institutional averages ranging from 112.61 to 129.68, reflecting a generally positive perception of the educational environment. USEI results indicated moderate levels of student engagement, with overall scores ranging from 49 to 57 across the participating universities. Findings demonstrate that students’ views of the educational environment strongly shape their perspectives on teaching and learning within industrial engineering programs. A recurring weakness observed across institutions was students’ social self-perception, highlighting challenges in this domain. Many students expressed dissatisfaction with peer interactions, collaboration, and their sense of belonging in the academic community. These findings point to areas requiring immediate attention for enhancement.