A Comparative Analysis on The Educational Perspective of Students and Professors in Stem Courses Regarding Industry 4.0 Competencies

Abstract

This work consists of an investigation in the form of a comparative analysis between students and professors from the STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), about their educational perspective in the context of the current industrial revolution - Industry 4.0 (I4.0). This research aims to investigate, in particular, how professors and students from a Control and Automation Engineering (CAE), Information Systems (SI) and Mechatronics Engineering perceive the educational process in relation to the development of skills needed for the upcoming job market. As future professionals, students need technical knowledge to deal with emerging trends, such as Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT) and Robotics. In addition, social skills, such as solving complex problems, dealing with conflicts, creativity, innovation and communication, leadership and collaborative work, are paramount. The research methodology adopted in this work is based on mixed methods, quali-quant research. Data collection was carried out through research based on questions related to three categories: intrapersonal, interpersonal and didactic. The study found that, although students claim to be prepared for Industry 4.0 challenges, professors think otherwise. There seems to be a pedagogical challenge to fully achieve the requirements for the development of future I4.0 professionals. In addition, this research identified that active learning methods, focused on the development of 21st century skills, are poorly applied by professors, which may indicate that students are not being exposed to real life situations necessary to better prepare themselves for the future challenges of I4.0.