Engineering is a discipline that involves the development, acquisition, and application of technical, scientific, and mathematical knowledge to understand design, development, innovation, and the utilisation of materials, machinery, structures, systems, and processes for specific purposes. The South African higher education is currently faced with forever changing landscapes particularly through the current era of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR); hence, engineering education is set to also adapt to these changes. These adjustments facilitate the evolution of teaching and learning processes, providing students with novel learning possibilities in a world marked by continuous trends. Therefore, this paper argues that there is a need for the combination of cognitive and experiential learning theories which aim to foster the complexities of internal human mental processes while developing the societal technical abilities of students and transform them into competent young professionals. This paper presents a practical application of the transformative learning theory (TLT) in an engineering classroom, its implications and impact on the students through a comprehensive reflective mechanism. The overall findings suggest that TLT in engineering education encourages students to think independently rather than relying solely on statements or arguments presented by educators. Implementing the theory promotes deeper learning because different viewpoints broaden frames of reference.

Keywords

Engineering Education, Community of Practice, Transformative Learning Theory, Student-centred and Teaching and Learning Design.