A New Chemical Engineering Curriculum for a New South Africa: Assessing the Impact of Duncan Fraser's Three Decades of Educational Research and Reform

Engineering education research is a relatively new field focused on improving engineering education to support the success of a broader range of students and be more relevant to the needs of contemporary society. In this article, we look closely at the impact of a pioneer in this field, the late Professor Duncan McKenzie Fraser, who began a focused and scholarly programme of work during late apartheid in South Africa, looking closely at the challenges experienced by chemical engineering students at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where he worked. We analyse Duncan's early experiments in improving teaching and curriculum which led into a recognized body of engineering education research. These research findings informed a programme of curriculum reform at UCT, the first phase of which involved the creation of some new courses and the modification of parts of the curriculum, and the second phase of which involved a full-scale reform of the entire curriculum. The analysis shows how engineering education research was used to inform innovative curriculum design that was closely attuned to contextual needs, specifically regarding stark racial disparities in student success, and also evolved later to embody a focus on sustainable development. Overall, there are significant lessons for the growing field of engineering education, which continues to grapple with the disjoint between research and improved practice-crucially showing the need for long term engagement, as exemplified in this programme of work which spanned over three decades.