INTRODUCTION

Students from universities face the great challenge of being prepared for the labor market nowadays. Requirements from companies concerning the professional curriculum of a recently graduated person, together with the important role that engineering has in economic, productivity, and innovation stand views in society (^{BLACKIE et al., 2016}), demand more attention from universities in this scenario.

Subsequently, teaching methods exerted by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) directly impact the preparatory process of students to the labor market. ^{Björck (2021}) highlighted that teaching approaches integrated into the workplace could raise alumni employment, although these approaches present gaps that need to be filled. One of them is related to the fact that learning methods may not properly integrate the theory taught at university with the one that is indeed applied at the workplace given the lack of instruction on how to apply those theories in real-life experiences.

One may also observe that the discussion topic concerning learning and teaching methods, which have been one of the most central subjects on the overall agenda of HEI since the 1990s (^{LETTS, 2019}), is shrouded in perspectives of change and transformation of teaching methods for them to become increasingly based on practical approaches. There is also a constant concern that the graduating student is not completely prepared for the labor market, given that their ability to assimilate new knowledge and apply it is not considered effective (^{BLACKIE et al., 2016}). In essentially theoretical curricular units, knowledge apprehension by students tends to be lower than in the ones that mix lectures with activities of theoretical application. A composition set between the purely expository model and the use of studies based on real data tends to raise students’ interest and knowledge apprehension capacity (^{Glasser, 1999}; ^{Graham, 2010}).

The research scenario regarding teaching methods with practical approaches in higher education institutions is poorly explored by academic initiatives of research according to ^{Alzahrani et al. (2021}) and ^{Zarpelon and Resende (2020}). Zarpelon and Resende (2020) carried out, at the Brazilian Congress of Engineering Education, throughout the 2010-2017 period, a survey of all publications related to the application of learning theories in the teaching of engineering, focusing on the Calculus 1 subject. The study revealed a very limited collection of articles, scarcely explored by the academic community compared to other themes approached at the congress. Alzahrani et al. (2021) showed that the number of published articles that linked current themes on quality (Quality 4.0-involving all concepts of Industry 4.0 Quality Management) with learning approaches in HEIs is inferior to the collection compiled by Zarpelon and Resende (2020), even when considering five global article databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, Ebsco, and ProQuest). This highlights that the number of works that bring practical approaches to teaching methods is even narrowed, oftentimes limiting itself to the replicability of approaches that involve games for executing practical instruction. In this light, this study aims to contribute to an answer to the following research question: how can we promote teaching based on real cases in the quality management subject in engineering majors?

From this issue, this research sought to investigate the university-company interaction in teaching and learning processes in an Engineering course through the application of an experimental and active teaching method in the Quality Management subject in the Production Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos - Campus Sorocaba, through a partnership set with an Auto Parts Integrated Supplier, also located in Sorocaba, São Paulo State, Brazil.

FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS OF TEACHING-LEARNING

For ^{Ginter and White (1982}), learning is the result of observing the behavior of other individuals who belong to the same social context, copying everything that seems convenient (i.e., it is a learning in which individuals learn with each other). ^{Kolb (1984}) defined learning as the process through which knowledge is created through the transformation of experiences, and this learning construction is named experiential learning. For him, learning should be based on the following:

In addition, ^{Kolb (1984}) defended that learning construction obeys the following sequence of activities, which is called the Kolb Cycle:

Additionally, ^{Carvalho, Porto, and Belhot (2001}) put in evidence the learning cycle based on the constructivist logic, which is, according to them, the most adequate one when it comes to engineering education and comprises the following stages:

Concepts on learning cycles and processes by ^{Ginter and White (1982}), ^{Kolb (1984}), and ^{Carvalho, Porto, and Belhot (2001}) are summarized as shown in Figure 1.

Source: Prepared by ^{Ginter and White (1982}), ^{Kolb (1984}), and ^{Carvalho, Porto, and Belhot (2001}).

Figure 1 - Learning cycles and the learning intensity. 

Figure 1 shows the learning processes according to the Kolb Cycle (existential learning), Ginter & White Cycle (social learning), the Constructivist Cycle, and the Experiential Approach. The student’s experiences through their learning processes are fundamental to developing the abilities on required critical analyses for the exercise of their future professions (^{RUSNAKOVA and BACHAROVA, 2001}).

According to ^{Feuerwerker (2002}), the student internalizes knowledge primarily through practice rather than with the traditional learning processes that take place only through reading, lectures, and visual presentations (Figure 2).

Source: Prepared from ^{Feuerwerker (2002}).

Figure 2 - Student’s participation and the capacity to appropriate knowledge. 

As reported by ^{March (2005}), expertise has become increasingly extensive, with more fragmented and specialized kinds of knowledge produced rapidly each day, consequently reaching obsolescence in shorter times. The same author indicates that these traits demand some changes in the teaching-learning process, as follows:

A learning method that uses these characteristics is problem-based learning, which, according to ^{Benjamin and Keenan (2006}), is a strategy that promotes active learning type of way given that the student has control over the process. One uses open-ended and non-structured problems for triggering the learning process. Students analyze the problem, decide on what they should know, and acquire knowledge when developing appropriate solutions. Teamwork is an integral part of this strategy in which learning sharing and assessment constitute an essential element in developing solutions (^{BENJAMIN and KEENAN, 2006}). Overall, problem-based learning:

“[...] aims, conjoint with other constructivist educational methods, to answer some dilemmas that emerged in contemporary vocational training, including the impressive increase in the volume of scientific and technical knowledge that should be taught to students during the graduation course, as well as its accelerated obsolescence rhythm. It seemingly satisfies some aspects that the literature commends for higher education (i.e., a course that integrates theory to practice and the academic world to work one, promoting — in addition to the domain of specific knowledge — the development of professional and civic abilities and behaviors)” (^{RIBEIRO, 2008}, p. 13).

^{Prince and Felder (2006}) approach inductive learning methods that, overall, can be analyzed as methods organized as learning cycles. All around, these cycles’ stages may be summarized according to actions described in the modules of Software Technology for Action and Reflection (STAR) developed under the Vanderbilt University Learning Technology Center (^{PRINCE and FELDER, 2006}) and presented in Figure 3.

Source: Prepared and adapted from ^{Prince and Felder (2006}, p. 126).

Figure 3 - STAR-based learning cycle. 

^{Behrens (2006}) points out that, as for projects’ methodology, from problematic situations, the student investigates for producing individual knowledge. Thus, they reunite “[...] the actions for reflecting, dialoguing, arguing, and creating the possibility of taking up the problem for developing and complex, in-context view of reality” (^{BEHRENS, 2006}, p.173). This also includes, in addition, the problematic technique, the problem-based learning method, according to the same author, enabling the development of activities that involve the engagement of individuals in collective, critical, and reflexive discussions. The author understands teaching through a complex lens that makes students coexist with different opinions, converting methodological activities into rich, significant situations for producing knowledge and learning directed to one’s own life (^{BEHRENS, 2006}).

In problem-based learning, students start from a real-life scenario that has no unique, certain answer. From a problem analysis, they research an alternative and present a recommended solution. This experience replicates the situation the students shall face when inserted in the labor market (^{HSIEH e KNIGHT, 2008}). According to ^{Postholm (2008}), teamwork, project-directed works, and problem-based learning are set amongst learning methods directed at substituting or complementing more traditional expository classes. When aligned with an interdisciplinary idea, these learning methods have been present in discussions involving contemporaneous teaching and learning practices.

Still according to ^{Richter and Paretti (2009}), when participants identify and integrate different perspectives through a conjoint work toward the resolution of a problem in a manner that ensures that everyone learns and have the chance to remodel their behaviors and practices, interdisciplinarity occurs. This, considering project-related work, according to ^{Grant et al. (2010}), also contributes to developing important abilities to insert the student into the labor market.

For ^{Farias et al. (2015}), educators use problematic methods to induce the student into the practical context, making them face real or simulated problems and minimizing the occurrence of fragmented instruction. These objects, called Active Methods of Education (AME), in order to be considered adequate, must be (^{FARIAS et al., 2015}, p. 146):

It is worth emphasizing that, when considering the AME, two roles gain prominence: both the professor and the student. Indeed, as stated by ^{Farias et al. (2015}) regarding the usage of AME, one should highlight

“[...] the professor, who leaves behind the function of teaching, embracing the task of facilitating the process of knowledge acquisition, as well as the graduate, who ends up receiving denominations that refer to the dynamic context, as student or scholar. It all highlights the active, dynamic, and constructivist environment that can positively influence the perception of educators and students” (^{FARIAS et al., 2015}, p. 145).

Therefore, for all modes of learning, environment, and experience, observation, followed by the reflection on what is real to the construction of concepts and its posterior application, constitutes the primary way to construct knowledge and solidify knowledge. In other words, knowledge fixity and the intensity or capacity of learning apprehension increases in compliance with the way one follows the sequence “learning - comprehending - applying - summarizing”: one perceives what happens around oneself, in addition to knowing what one whats to learn; therefore, a process of comprehension is initiated through the understanding of the process of adequate, appropriate information from external sources; after the issue is apprehended and comprehended, one should plan and apply a solution; and, lastly, if the application testing is satisfactory, one should adopt the model that was transmitted onto the environment, when one interacts with the environment and summarizes what was learned.

Thus, observation- and reflection-based learning construction on real-life experiences is fundamentally important for the formation of qualified alumni. An educational movement initiated around 1990, and primarily known as STEM, put the AME in evidence, especially those based on projects. It is the STEM Education movement, which, around the year 2008, became known as STEAM Education. In the following section, this movement is detailed.

THE “STEM” AND “STEAM” MOVEMENTS

The STEM abbreviation is formed by the initials of the words Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; It is presented as an innovative proposal for the teaching of natural sciences, given it is composed of a set of methods and tools that substitute merely expository teaching for an interdisciplinary one, which is project based (^{PUGLIESE, 2017}). More recently, the integration of the STEM movement with the Humanities was sought, especially in the Arts area, originating the STEAM term (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).

Interdisciplinary, project-based teaching: ^{Pugliese (2017}) stated that the Arts area in the STEAM movement should not be a merely entertaining accessory but should be accessed in its sensitive, teaching, creative, critical, and aesthetic functions, and quotes ^{Radziwill et al. (2015}) who defends the integration of significative experiences and the promotion of a rich environment for learning through an approach of participatory art. For ^{Blackley and Howell (2015}) apud ^{Pugliese (2017)}, the “Arts” field includes Sociology, Psychology, History, Visual Arts, Philosophy, and Education in the search for more effective, substantial learning. Still following Pugliese (²⁰¹⁷), when approaching STEM, this movement can be dealt with through four different formats of teaching in Sciences, including:

However, for Zeidler (2017) and ^{Pugliese (2017}), the STEM model lacks the worry with ethical and social issues of Natural Sciences, as well as the worry with scientific literalness and the construction of knowledge about the nature of Science, lacking central sociocultural and socio-scientific aspects for the formation of a sense of scientific identity that necessarily implies on the promulgation of moral responsibility.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT TEACHING IN PRODUCTION ENGINEERING

^{Silva and Cecílio (2007}) point out that the necessity of continuous learning for one to maintain oneself updated on the labor market directly requires, from professors and educators, the same posture of “reviewing knowledge, researching, and keeping in touch with extra-scholar environments, in the face of in-context teaching (^{SILVA and CECÍLIO, 2007}, p. 76). They indicate the necessity of nearing the engineering students’ formation to the necessities of society and stimulate their capacity to develop broad competencies that surpass the classroom environment. For ^{Sigahi, Ferrarini, and Borrás (2017}), it seems important to narrow the relation university-company to nurture the perfection process of a decisive teaching-learning developed by graduation courses by minimizing the difference between what is taught and what is asked for in the labor market.

Indeed, the National Curriculum Directives of Engineering courses that are registered by CNE/CES Resolution no. 2 of 04/24/2019 (^{BRASIL, 2019}), and CNE/CES Resolution no. 1 of 03/06/2021 (^{BRASIL, 2021}), Art. 6 ensures the Engineering Pedagogical Course Projects to

“[...] stimulate activities that simultaneously articulate theory, practice, and application context necessary for developing competencies established for the alumni profile, including extension areas and the university-company integration.

Paragraph 3 Students’ works should be encouraged, both individual and group ones, under

the effective guidance of the professor.

Paragraph 4 Since the beginning of the course, interdisciplinary activities that promote integration should be implemented coherently regarding curricular development to integrate technical, scientific, economic, social, environmental, and ethical dimensions. (^{BRASIL, 2019}, p. 3-4, our emphasis).

^{Martins, Abreu, and Simon (2018}) described an evolution scale of higher education from the current one toward a future level in which characteristics allow students to acquire greater autonomy in developing their competencies. In these future moments of teaching, there would be practices of, among other activities, the student’s search for content based on tutored challenges, the approximation of companies during the student’s graduation along with the development of professional challenges and the student’s assessment by society, labor market, and regulatory entities (^{MARTINS, ABREU, and SIMON, 2018}).

Likewise, it is worth considering what is indicated by the Brazilian Association of Production Engineering (ABEPRO), which is that one of the fundamental competencies of the production engineer is comprehending concepts linked to the area of Quality Engineering, being:

“The Production Engineering area is responsible for the planning, project, and control of quality management systems that consider the management of processes, the factual approach for decision making, and the use of quality tools.” (Commission of Graduation and referenced in the GT of Graduation of Encep 08 and Enegep 08 - 10/16/08).

Overall, production engineering courses follow the instruction in addressing all concepts related to Quality Engineering in compliance with ABEPRO’s guidelines. These concepts are related to quality engineering and may be organized into the following subareas:

Linked to these concepts, there are still methods that seek to operationalize learning principles that enable students to fixate on all of this knowledge, therefore allowing them to replicate it in the future in practical situations. These principles are directly linked to the fundamental concepts of teaching and learning, to solidify this knowledge in the student. Some applications seek to operationalize learning theories in the context of quality management teaching, as presented below.

The method of using games is approached by ^{Fuzeto et al. (2017}). They highlight the possibility of the students themselves acting on the development of board games as part of the learning process. This approach demanded a broader comprehension of the content that was ministered throughout the course’s subject, which, in addition to topics related to Quality Management and its respective tools, also contemplated all of the theoretical frameworks behind the conception and development of a game.

An adaptation of PBL with the method of corporate games in the Control Tools and Quality Management subject was presented by ^{Martinez (2018}) when addressing the teaching of quality in compliance with the conjoint union of the learning method and related theoretical database. The approach by Martinez (²⁰¹⁸) was structured in periods of teamwork discussion right after the presentation of theoretical content, which occurred weekly that followed the schedule presented in Chart 1. Each group chose a product, which would be, in a simulative manner, produced in the classroom, and it required the handling of evidence on the use of quality tools that contemplated a complete dossier on relevant information concerning the production and use of these tools.

Source: ^{Martinez (2018})

Chart 1 - Schedule of classes of the study of case subject elaborated by ^{Martinez (2018}). 

Results referring to the general median of the class were reported as satisfactory by ^{Martinez (2018}). As for the perspective of the students on the method, registered through a questionnaire, was positive for the learning and a better understanding of the practical applicability of concepts. These results by Martinez (2018) are aligned with the approach by ^{Feuerwerker (2002}). A very similar approach to the one by Martinez (2018) is presented by ^{Fabricio et al. (2018}), but this time, focusing on learning the Just-in-Time philosophy. It explored concepts related to productivity, which encompasses Quality without deepening on the Quality Management theme in compliance with guidelines by ^{ABEPRO (2021)}. The professor still plays the responsible role of conducting the theoretical exposition on the subject’s matters and planning all of the applied methods. The approach by Fabricio et al. (2008) proposes more active participation on the part of students, given that the simulation of productive systems is their responsibility of them themselves, and it all ends up with an exercise of collective reflection regarding the philosophies involved in the activity.

Lastly, ^{Santos et al. (2020}) report a familiar approach to using games as a learning method. In this case, the applied game was inserted in the Role Playing Game (RPG) genre, aimed at making the most out of the traits related to flexibility and creativity of the gamification process, used for the employment of the active teaching method in the Quality Management subject. It highlighted the student’s position as the protagonist of their own learning, resulting in a satisfactory project performance. The approach by ^{Santos et al. (2020)} is coherent with the proposal by ^{Farias et al. (2015}), which puts into evidence the importance of each alumnus receiving customized care and summarizes the role of the professor and the student. It is directly linked to other relevant points presented by the work: a specific modality of RPG was sought, named FIASCO, to bring the logic that the player is also the narrator of their own history. Given that the professor would not have the capability to individually narrate the histories of the entirety of participating students, this professional can assume the role of a consultant and doubt clarifier.

METHOD

This study has an exploratory character and is also action research because it applies a dynamic of teaching and learning processes in an interactive university-company context. The chosen subject for applying this dynamic was quality management, and it took place in the 1st semester of 2019 and the 5th term of the production engineering course at the Federal University of São Carlos - campus Sorocaba. As for the partnered company linked to the university, an Auto Parts Integrated Supplier was chosen, also located in Sorocaba.

Considering the aim of this study (i.e., investigating the interaction set between the university and the company in teaching and learning processes in an engineering course), two propositions were elaborated to develop conjoint actions of these two entities. The first proposition deals with the lack of success of the partnership for educational application due to the labor market’s lack of interest or incomprehension for the execution time with the result that is based on the formation and not the creation of an asset that the market could explore by the involved parties. The second proposition, in contrast, was that students would be more interested in the subject’s content if it were to be applied in real-life cases during the theoretical learning itself.

The action study was conducted according to the recommendations of ^{Gil (2002}). As elaborated by this author, this type of research consists of the conception and performance of a narrow association of action along with the solution of a problem, in which researchers and representative participants of the situation in question are involved in a cooperative, participative manner. One should note that the essence of the action research method presented by Gil (2002) is consistently aligned with the STAR method of ^{Prince and Felder (2006}). Thus, considering the stages of the action research and adapting them to the research scope, we developed the following work stages:

Students’ development assessment was carried out progressively and consisted of ten assessment activities related to three types of activities. The first type involved theoretical and expository classes (Theoretical class I, Theoretical class II, and Theoretical class III). The second type involved three cases (Case I, Case II, and Case III) of the partnered company itself on real situations (Project preview, Project partial, and Final project). Except for the final project, the other nine activities were simultaneously assessed by the professor and the assistant, and deviations from the expected elements in the reports delivered were made explicit in the form of feedback to the students. The assessment of the Final Project activity was carried out through the application of a questionnaire from the partnered company’s team. The questionnaire presented three affirmations concerning the perception of the quality of the projects developed by students, as follows: i) the project positively contributed to promoting the students’ learning and development; ii) the students reached the goals of the project, and iii) the products obtained through the project were satisfactory. The respondents were required to present their degree of agreement with these affirmations that offered a liker-type scale with options ranging from complete disagreement to partial disagreement, partial agreement, and complete agreement.

UNIVERSITY-COMPANY INTERACTIVE CASE IN QUALITY MANAGEMENT TEACHING

Seeking to promote the approximation of students to the real-life work environment, as well as a better relationship between theory and practice, we aimed at defining a dynamic in the subject of quality management in a course of Product Engineering at a public educational institution and measuring the contribution of this dynamic in the learning process from the point of view of the students and the participating company.

The participating company was a large-sized transnational in the metal-mechanic sector, which actively participated in the dynamic, both in the planning and in the execution with the supply of real cases and enabling students to present the result of the work to the company’s management at the end of the graduation semester.

Initially, we elaborated an activities plan that sought, through the composition of expository and practical classes, the ongoing follow-up of the student and their respective evolution regarding learning. The working groups were required to formulate weekly reports whose content should address specific issues addressed to the themes of each class, the evolution of the final work project, the monitoring of the schedule, an analysis of each member of the group that their respective leader should perform, and, finally, report the progress between the motivations for the approach between the members of each team. As the assistant was responsible for carrying out the follow-up of each report and directing each group regarding the final project, the professor of the subject was responsible for monitoring the whole process.

For the elaboration of the cases, the company provided all materials and content duly protected by a legal agreement set between the parties, and it all had a direct relation with the content dealt with throughout the subject. The systematic adopted for elaborating each case is exemplified by Figure 4, in which Case I is addressed, the Case of the “Differential Cage,” where a real case for applying the 8D method to the investigation and solution of problems was applied. It was based on the work that the partnered company has as treatment of problems in Quality, nine sequential steps to exercise an efficient deployment of Quality tools (5W2H, Process Diagram, 3x5 Whys, Ishikawa, FMEA, among others).

“8D is a method of problem analysis and solution that allows integrating quality tools to a teamwork perspective.” (Primary conception of the training offered by the partnered company on the extension process.)

Among the other methods for the application of Quality tools, 8D was selected not only for integrating the philosophy of the partnered company but also for instigating investigative and analytical abilities in students in a more agile way that did not require other, more advanced abilities (such as the Six Sigma).

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 4 - Systematic elaboration of cases. 

Two other cases were made considering real data from the suppliers of the company: “Case of the ‘Pipe’” (Case II) - an auto part with stains on the galvanized surface and the “Case of the Planetary Carrier Gear” (Case III). The first one addressed the finishing processes and surface treatment of a shaft fitting auto part that followed the same systematic in Figure 4, but with matters of reflection and discussion directed to this specific case. As for the second one, despite following the same systematic line, it was made during the class and with the assistant to test the acquired knowledge by students on previously studied cases.

An important point is that practical cases were adjusted to promote a very near experience to the one provided by the company’s reality to their Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA) team. In the group, one person is responsible for the problem studied, and they should investigate the problem through quality management tools. After the root cause of the problem in question is identified, the group should be capable of making decisions that promote the correct execution of the tools for the issue to be indeed solved. For a better understanding of the structure of this project, Figure 05 illustrates all planned and executed activities.

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 5 - Stages of development of the activity. 

By the end of this flux, a questionnaire was applied for the students and another one for the company’s quality team, aiming at the collection of qualitative information in regards to the extension project under different perspectives: from the ones that elaborated the performed work, as well as from the ones that received the work.

Each questionnaire had distinct approaches, for it was necessary to highlight distinct perspectives related to the aim of analyzing the entirety of the project regarding the study expectations. Therefore, the questionnaire directed toward the students addressed the following themes:

As for the questionnaire that was applied to the company’s quality team, we offered them a descriptive space concerning the observed benefits that the project provided for the company, in addition to highlighting the following themes:

Right after the subject planning, which was conjointly elaborated by: The assistant of the Quality Management subject, the professor of the Quality Management subject, and the manager of the sector of Supplier Quality Assurance of the Auto Parts Integrated Supplier, we elaborated the following schedule for the execution of the extension project throughout 10 weeks (Chart 2).

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Chart 02 - Stages of development of the activity. 

An important point to mention is that making the schedule some months in advance in relation to the beginning of classes was essential for avoiding schedule conflicts between the involved parties: the company and the university.

RESULTS

Throughout the subject's duration, we followed up on the students’ performance, monitoring the grades they obtained for each activity. As shown in Chart 2, one may observe that the class, overall, obtained a good performance throughout the activities. It is noteworthy to observe the level of complexity and difficulty of the deliveries, which directly impacted the global performance of the class. As, for example, in the first presentation (dated 05/09/2019), when many corrections were asked on the works that were presented as a way of preparing the students for the level of demand that appraising members of the company were going to ask in the final presentation.

Many points require attention in Chart 2, such as the performance of activities related to the Lecture on Quality Management, Case III, and the Partial delivery of the final project. The drop in performance of the students on the activity of Project Preview Presentation was justified by a preliminary, unsatisfactory result (we required a demonstration of a sketch of an idea of the product, and the majority of groups had not yet defined which idea would be used), given that the groups ended up dedicating themselves to the project with more diligence only at the end of the term. The second drop occurred because some groups had not yet delivered the weekly report due to a lack of organization and ended up having a zero grade on the activity (Referring to Case III). This result was discussed with the students, who, in this process of reflection, revealed discomfort along with the moral responsibility they assumed when they used the autonomy granted to them. After this event, results revealed a collective recovery, even considering the bigger exigence of the delivery of the Project partial. Lastly, as for the Partial delivery of the final project, a high level of the requirement was set (concerning the project’s content, design, and adherence to the initial scope of it), which resulted in numerous corrections on the works presented as a way of preparing the students for the required level that the appraising members of the company would demand at the final presentation. By the end of the project, it was possible to analyze the answers to the questionnaires conjointly with the performance of the groups of students, and this data is shown in Chart 3.

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Chart 3 - Subject assessment by students. 

In turn, Chart 4 shows the data obtained that referred to the perception of the quality of works developed by students and expressed by the partnered company’s team. We highlight two observations made by employees of the company on the benefits of the subject, developed as it was, brought to the company:

“The project can make access available, more easily, to the information inherent to the tools for managing problems of non-compliance both with the supplier and with the Auto Parts Integrated Supplier team. It will enable a better understanding among parties for a better and more rapid solution.” (Intern of the SQA sector of the partnered company.)

“Diffusion and standardization of knowledge of the quality tools of the supply chain, in addition to centralizing it and providing rapid access to tools.” (Senior Engineer of the SQA sector of the partnered company.)

Source: prepared by the authors.

Chart 4 - Assessment of the results of the work by the team of the partnered company. 

Thus, this work obtained positive results under very diverse perspectives, in addition to promoting a good overall in-class performance in the Quality Management subject. The most pivotal points raised after a complete analysis of the results complied with the challenges of motivation and self-incentive of the student so that they would be capable of reaching these project goals and bringing better results on the conception of the final product. The averages of the groups on the activities put this point into evidence, given the drop in performance in activities where the weights in the assessment method were higher in the items of proactivity and critical analysis of the participants.

FINAL REMARKS

This research performed action research on the teaching and learning processes of the quality management subject in the product engineering course in the investigative context of the interaction set between the university and the company. The study provided the opportunity of nearing students with everyday practice in the quality sector of a company belonging to the automobile industry. The observations of the professionals in this area show the experiment’s effectiveness to this end. Labor market expectancies generated regarding the students’ domain on the subject were satisfied.

Our findings allow one to conclude that it is possible to enable university-company partners that lead to beneficial actions in the environment of the graduation teaching in Engineering throughout the development of these conjoint actions. Still, in regards to the propositions presented in the methods section, the company revealed to be open to the above-mentioned partnership that focused on the formation of Production Engineering alumni and aspects related to the possibly existing barrier related to the time of execution and expected results were aspects of encouragement and not a barrier. Additionally, the students became increasingly interested in the content of the subject, revealing their growing autonomy and responsibility as people accountable for the creation and construction of knowledge throughout the term. Below, we present other contributions reached during the action research and go beyond previously presented propositions.

Other contributions reached, such as the summary of the results of this action research during the development of the action research, were also identified and presented. The valuing of the student as an active part of the teaching-learning was highlighted, and it was accomplished when considering the student as the builder of their knowledge, as well as the builder of the collective knowledge in the class, especially in the bachelor’s in Engineering and Production Engineering, in which interaction between theory and practice has gained prominence due to the new National Curriculum Directives for Engineering courses (^{BRASIL, 2019}; ^{BRASIL, 2021}). This contribution is also in compliance with the proposal by ^{Rusnakova and Bacharova (2001}) concerning their position on how the student’s experiences during the learning process contribute to the exercise of their future professions.

The challenging scenario presented by the cases, which demanded an interface between Mechanical and Production Engineering, promoted students’ increased interest and commitment as a thought-provoking scenario of problem resolution based on practice was solidified. The cases and the final project also contributed to the creation of this challenging scenario. The involvement of these professionals, already inserted in the labor market and the learning process, along with deliveries of data, information, context, and real problems, encouraged students the search for solutions to the proposed problems, generating a virtuous cycle and resulting in the search for more theoretical knowledge on the subject’s theme.

Delivery of feedback by the assistant, the professor, and the partnered company’s professionals over each one of the works that were handled revealed itself as an encouraging practice for the bettering of deliveries made by students. This ongoing bettering process of study methods and case analysis allowed that method and conceptual considerations, as well as reflections that had not yet been considered in previous deliveries of the partial report, could be applied and considered in the following delivery. Additionally, the autonomy and dedication of the students in the subject were encouraged with the permission given to them to raise constant questions about the project proposals of each group and to actively engage in answering the various questions, stimulating reflection on their work developed so far.

The partnered company considered that the nearing and sharing processes of expectancies before the beginning of in-classroom activities were decisive for the partnership between the university and the company. Lastly, it was possible to experience the challenges that involved the conception of innovative learning theories in higher education. Nevertheless, given the limitations of the action research method in regards to its capacity for generalization, future research could be performed in the sense of assessing the broadening of the findings of this research to another engineering, in addition to other related courses. Additionally, one can observe and indicate public policies that encourage the university-company interaction in a manner that seeks diverse ways for stimulating the theoretical and practical relation throughout graduation courses in a reality of professors that may not possess the adequate formation of insertion in this type of reality. Moreover, future research may also investigate virtual teaching in the university-company interaction environment from the perspective of learning methods developed for using virtual technologies.

Preprint

DOI: https://preprints.scielo.org/index.php/scielo/preprint/view/3339