Inovação pedagógica na engenharia química: avaliação do curso e das metodologias ativas de ensino na formação acadêmica de engenheiros.

Abstract

In the academic landscape of engineering, a common issue can be identified that, regardless of the field, directly affects student performance at some point during their undergraduate studies: the feeling of demotivation with the chosen course. General difficulties, excessive workloads, and teachers with questionable teaching methods are some of the most frequent complaints that surround the daily lives of various students from the Technology Center of the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), where the Department of Chemical Engineering is located. These issues underscore the inherent lack of enthusiasm for what should be the foundational training for their future professional lives. With the evolution of Digital Information and Communication Technologies (DICT), the rapid access to information leads engineering students to seek deeper knowledge, which is often superficially understood. In this context, the traditional teaching model—primarily lecture-based and without practical contextualization— no longer meets the needs that were once fulfilled by these methods, which still persist in many curricula across the country. This communicative gap highlights the urgent need to incorporate active learning methodologies that engage students more effectively and practically in the educational process, fostering deeper and more meaningful learning. In light of this, this Undergraduate Thesis (TFC) aims to explore the satisfaction of students in the Chemical Engineering course at UFPB, from the fifth semester onward, with the current teaching method. Through quantitative and qualitative research, data were collected on the students' experiences with the course, their familiarity with active learning methodologies, and their perceptions of the traditional teaching model. The results show that 80% of respondents consider ProjectBased Learning (PBL) as the most applicable active methodology for the course, followed by STEAM (40%) and Blended Learning (40%), while only 20% of students indicated the flipped classroom as relevant. These findings reveal that students seek a more practical approach that involves solving real-world problems and allows for greater applicability of theoretical knowledge, expressing the need for better integration between theory and practice, with the use of methodologies that encourage collaboration, creativity, and practical problem-solving— essential characteristics in the profile of chemical engineers demanded by the current job market. Based on these analyses, the study suggests the integration and strengthening of active learning methodologies in the Chemical Engineering course, focusing on PBL, as a way to improve student engagement and learning, promoting an education that is more aligned with contemporary engineering and societal demands. From this perspective, it is inferred that adopting more modern and interactive approaches in the teaching of Chemical Engineering can not only enhance student motivation and performance but also better prepare future professionals to face the challenges of the job market, by promoting education that values individuality and the development of critical and practical skills.