Developing A Spanish Speaking Community Of Engineering Education Research Scholars

The calls to embrace a more rigorous approach to conduct engineering education research have received the attention of groups of scholars around the globe, driving the advancement of the field through the development of centers, departments and degree programs, prestigious publications, and conferences. However, the engineering education research movement has been more visible in the English-speaking world, where the majority of such initiatives have taken place. This reality represents an opportunity for other regions where engineering education research is not as prominent yet. Being the official language of 21 countries, and spoken by over 300 million people around the world, Spanish has the potential to become one of the official languages of engineering education research. This paper discusses the relevance of developing a Spanish-speaking community of engineering education research scholars by a) exploring the current state of engineering education as a research field in Spanish-speaking countries as reflected in emerging dissemination outlets; and b) describing recent efforts to develop global capacity and communities in engineering education research. The implications of developing and sustaining such community are discussed.