Functions have an important place in the Swedish national curriculum. This study explores Swedish high school students’ conceptions and reasoning when solving mathematical problems involving functions. Two students were asked to solve three problems and reason aloud while describing how they approached their solutions. These problems dealt with function expressions, function representations, and the definition of the function concept. The study adopted a discourse analysis, where recorded discussions and explanations were examined to ascertain students’ strategies, abilities, challenges, conceptual understanding, and misconceptions. The main insights from the study are based on exploring how misconceptions and conceptual understanding underlie students’ challenges and abilities. Understanding representations seemed to increase general abilities, and the presence of correct conceptual definitions did not imply a good understanding of the concept of functions. The students’ algebraic knowledge did not hinder their function understanding, but rather was helpful when moving between representations and handling function expressions.

Technological enhancement of teaching and learning of mathematics has been an expanding topic of research. A considerable body of research explores the potential of technologies in teaching and learning mathematics, however, a review of the literature shows that there is little research on how students use these digital tools to solve mathematical tasks. This study follows students’ use of a digital tool (Desmos) when working with quadratic functions. The study analyses data collected from 28 Year 11 students from a school in Sweden focussing on the students’ usage of Desmos as they solved multiple tasks. Students worked in pairs, and their discussions were video-recorded and analysed using a content analysis framework. The analysis reveals four categories of approach; solve algebraically and verify with Desmos, solve with Desmos and verify algebraically, integrated method, where students use the tool differently for different problem-solving questions, and lastly using Desmos as an aide, a category including students that used Desmos to solve tasks completely after failed algebraic attempts. Our findings can thus be of great value in assisting teachers in recognising these differences and provide opportunities for students to explore the use of digital tools in enhancing both their learning experience and performance.

Challenge-based learning (CBL) engages students in complex, real-life challenges, promoting responsibility for their learning. Existing research has identified several factors that contribute to students’ motivation in CBL environments. However, prior studies have focused primarily on cognitive and metacognitive learning functions in active learning environments in higher engineering education. Further, affective/motivational functions regulate behaviors and emotions that arise during learning and stimulate affective responses that may positively, negatively or neutrally influence students’ learning process, performance, and well-being. Thus, using Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this qualitative study examines engineering students’ motivation in CBL environments. Twelve Master’s level students from a research-intensive university in Sweden took part in semi-structured interviews discussing their experiences during different CBL courses studies. Analysis combined inductive and deductive approaches, identifying affective/motivational functions emerging from the interviews and analysing them based on SDT concepts. The qualitative thematic analysis identified motivations that emerged such as innovation, entrepreneurship, designing learning, practical experience, real-world problem-solving, and societal contribution through sustainability, grounded by the Self-determination continuum. SDT’s nutritient concepts of autonomy, competence, and relatedness were satisfied through structured tasks, mastery, learning, feedback, and positive social relationships. However, problematic areas such as a lack of rationale in tasks, absence of project choice, insecurity about professional rights, lack of feedback, limited growth opportunities, and negative social relationships frustrated students’ psychological needs. The study suggests practical applications to support motivational needs in higher engineering education, including regulating emotions during learning.

Computational thinking has gained an important place in modern education, enabling individuals to approach problem-solving in a logical and structured manner. This cross-curricular competence is important and applicable in any field of science, not just for computer science professionals. By fostering problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity, among other skills, computational thinking is crucial in today's education. In the digital age, computational thinking is not just a technical skill, or one related to programming and robotics, but a way of thinking that can transform, or at least provide a different perspective, the way we approach everyday challenges and opportunities in our daily lives. To assess this new competency, analytical tools and methods that are not too general are needed. To achieve this, that is, to assess computational thinking, the process is currently complex and requires a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. In this way, analytical rubrics, portfolio analysis, and standardized tests are essential tools that help provide a comprehensive and accurate assessment of students' skills related to this competence. In our project, we also work on assessing computational thinking using Bebras-type tasks and applying data analysis. Data analysis facilitates the continuous improvement of teaching and assessment methods. By monitoring and analyzing data over time, educators can identify the most effective strategies and make adjustments to improve learning outcomes. In this paper, we introduce COMATH, an assessment tool grounded in research, which has undergone two phases of piloting across six counties. This process involved collaboration with subject-matter experts and the participation of over 4500 students and 100 teachers. We employ tasks designed to evaluate computational thinking and share some of the findings we have gathered to date.

Inclusivity in education is one of the fundamental objectives of the Swedish national curriculum for compulsory schooling. The accessibility of STEM education to students of different genders is essential in achieving this objective. This paper studies the images Swedish and Finnish upper secondary schools used to promote their university preparatory educational orientations, applying discourse analysis to the body of images. As the discourses imbue the orientations, certain positions are enabled for pupils. These positions prescribe who and what is seen as natural in the orientations. We find substantial differences in how the discourses are represented in the orientations. In the STEM orientations, pupils are constructed as less social than the other orientations. In the images from the technology programme, female pupils have a higher representation than actual enrolment, but in these images, they are less active than their male peers. Moreover, the female technology pupil is positioned as engaged with more creative technology subfields while their male peers engage with electronic experiments. This positioning of the female technology pupil is rather conditioning her presence than creating an attractive educational trajectory for her to assume.

This Special Session explores the challenges facing learners for the Engineering Profession in a future where Artificial Intelligence Tools are likely to be crucial to career success. We explore professional and academic expectations of the impact that AI will have on the major branches of engineering during the next decade, leveraging the expertise of the professions attending this special session.

 Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) emphasizes student-centered approaches that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and engagement through real-world challenges, preparing students for professional engineering careers. However, the motivational processes underpinning these outcomes have not been systematically explored. This scoping review aimed to identify and synthesize the effects of CBL on student motivation in higher engineering education, guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s protocol. The protocol involved defining the research questions, selecting relevant studies, extracting and analyzing data, and collating and reporting findings. This scoping review examined literature from seven scientific engineering education databases published between 2015 and 2024, resulting in a final selection of 18 articles. The review identified several thematic areas—CBL’s effects on students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, the enjoyment and engagement of real-world challenges application, the role of interdisciplinary collaboration and teamworking, the implications of real-world problem-solving for professional identity formation, and the teachers’ role. The review also revealed the predominance of quantitative methodologies, including instruments such as the SRQ-A and MUSIC® model, in evaluating CBL’s impact on motivation, while qualitative approaches, particularly those grounded in Self-Determination Theory, are notably underrepresented. This methodological disparity constrains a comprehensive understanding of students’ learning experiences and the contextual dynamics shaping motivation within CBL frameworks. These findings highlight the critical elements influencing student motivation in CBL contexts and provide insights into effective strategies for its implementation in higher engineering education.

 Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) emphasizes student-centered approaches that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and engagement through real-world challenges, preparing students for professional engineering careers. However, the motivational processes underpinning these outcomes have not been systematically explored. This scoping review aimed to identify and synthesize the effects of CBL on student motivation in higher engineering education, guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s protocol. The protocol involved defining the research questions, selecting relevant studies, extracting and analyzing data, and collating and reporting findings. This scoping review examined literature from seven scientific engineering education databases published between 2015 and 2024, resulting in a final selection of 18 articles. The review identified several thematic areas—CBL’s effects on students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, the enjoyment and engagement of real-world challenges application, the role of interdisciplinary collaboration and teamworking, the implications of real-world problem-solving for professional identity formation, and the teachers’ role. The review also revealed the predominance of quantitative methodologies, including instruments such as the SRQ-A and MUSIC® model, in evaluating CBL’s impact on motivation, while qualitative approaches, particularly those grounded in Self-Determination Theory, are notably underrepresented. This methodological disparity constrains a comprehensive understanding of students’ learning experiences and the contextual dynamics shaping motivation within CBL frameworks. These findings highlight the critical elements influencing student motivation in CBL contexts and provide insights into effective strategies for its implementation in higher engineering education.

This innovative practice full paper addresses the hypothesis that vocational workforce competence supply can be improved if a structured, strategic and long-term dialogue between local industry and local VET (Vocational Education and Training) governing bodies is established. Demand for vocational workforce is increasing, and by 2040 the demand is expected to exceed availability of resources in most vocational sectors. According to the National Agency for Education Sweden needs to increase the scale of industrial vocational education, both in upper secondary level and in adult education. By 2035, lost productivity due to shortfall in the educated technical workforce is estimated to cost Swedish companies 990 billion Swedish Kronor. An action research framework is used to bring together local decision-makers in a dialogue forum called in Swedish “Strategisk Verkstad och Aktion for Kompetensforsorjnlng” (SVAK). The goal is to improve VET systems through a new form of long-term dialogue in which representatives of the various system sectors meet to discuss challenges, practical solutions, as well as make joint decisions and implement initiatives.

Computational Thinking is part of the new curriculum in many countries and this new competence is often combined with Algebraic Thinking. Both types of thinking are part of the core of Mathematics and Computer Science. Algebraic Thinking is linked to acquiring the ability to represent and generalize patterns in any application area. Furthermore, the ability to communicate a mathematical argument, using the necessary language and symbolism, is a skill that is dependent on training in this type of thinking. Although Algebraic Thinking can be developed at different levels, and it is also developed at university levels, more and more countries see it as a basic mode of thought that should be encouraged from early childhood education. Algebraic Thinking has also a close relationship with Computational Thinking, and they are currently united in different situations, such as the international PISA student evaluation tests. We argue in this paper that this is a transversal competence that can be practiced in any subject and at any age. Sometimes combined with the process of teaching Mathematics. It is essential, in our opinion, to strengthen the inclusion of strategies that encourage students to reflect deeply on the concepts, theories, and applications they are learning, giving rise, among others, to number sense and abstraction. In this paper, we present the implementation of these two types of thinking, algebraic and computational, in the preuniversity curriculum, particularly in Spain, within a European project. In this project, we seek to create more appropriate learning approaches for those who are often disadvantaged and help them to take advantage of Computational Thinking and Algebraic Thinking and, therefore, STEM knowledge, helping to a stronger and more equal society. We analyze its status and its relationship with the concepts taught in the different courses, although focusing on the subject of Mathematics.