In response to complex sustainability challenges, engineering education increasingly embraces experiential learning to prepare graduates for interdisciplinary problem-solving and societal impact. Yet, research on the intersection of experiential learning and sustainability education remains fragmented. Our study addresses this gap through a systematic review of 83 empirical studies, in which we analysed sustainability integration approaches, teaching and learning principles, and reported learning outcomes. Our findings highlight a dichotomy where experiential learning fosters boundary-crossing collaboration, bridges education with real-world practice, and addresses diverse learning objectives. However, current research disproportionately focuses on elective curricula, disciplinary contexts, and outcomes that emphasise cognitive, behavioural, and technical competencies. Thus, affective and socio-emotional dimensions remain underexplored. These gaps limit understanding of experiential learning’s transformative potential for sustainability education. To address this, we propose a nine-item research agenda to guide future studies and inform the design of more impactful experiential learning practices in engineering education.

Universities globally are called to educate collaborative and ethical engineers. In response, interdisciplinary problem-based learning is increasingly used to equip students with competencies needed to solve grand societal challenges. However, complex problem-solving in interdisciplinary teams can challenge students’ existing beliefs and cause confusion. Our study examines these challenges through the lens of ‘disorienting dilemmas’ from transformative learning theory and investigates students’ coping strategies. Through twenty-nine student interviews, we uncovered disorienting dilemmas related to self-identity, problem-solving, disciplinary perceptions, conceptual understanding, and collaboration. Additionally, based on varied cognitive and behavioural responses, we identified four coping strategies: integrating, investigating, negotiating, and withdrawing. Notably, we observed shifts in students’ use of coping strategies. Our research advances transformative learning theory through its focus on shared learning and the recognition of diversity of coping strategies, thus providing insights for designing supports that guide students towards more constructive strategies and facilitate transformative learning.