Teach Engineering Students Expert Thinking Through Thinking Aloud During Problem-Solving

Think-aloud is a valuable strategy for engineering students to develop problem-solving skills. By articulating their thought process, students become more aware of their reasoning, monitor their understanding, and identify problem-solving gaps and conceptual errors. This paper presents a series of in-class interventions implemented to foster think-aloud habits and enhance metacognitive problem-solving skills among engineering students, including oral in-class strategy discussions and structured written homework. To evaluate the impact of the structured homework and students' perception, a mixed-methods study was conducted. Quantitative analysis revealed positive correlations between the quality of students' written problem-solving processes and their exam performance. In addition, survey responses indicated mixed students' perceptions: while some students expressed concerns about the additional workload, many valued the structured written homework approach for its clarity and reflective benefits.