Gerenciamento de Projetos com Base em Metodologias Ágeis: Percepções dos discentes dos anos finais do curso de Engenharia de Produção da Universidade Estadual do Maranhão- UEMA

Abstract

Production Engineering evolved to optimize diverse production systems, gaining prominence with the Industrial Revolution. In Brazil, the demand for these professionals grew in the 1970s and 1980s due to the inability of business schools to meet corporate needs. Today, production engineers need diverse skills to identify and solve problems, integrating resources and using mathematical tools. With technological advances, adaptation and planning are essential, and agile methodologies are key to effective project management. Interdisciplinarity is crucial for tackling complex challenges, and including these skills in the curriculum is vital for preparing students and giving them a competitive edge. Scientific events promote innovation and update knowledge, strengthening academic training. The aim of this study is to investigate the understanding of students from the seventh to tenth period of the Production Engineering course at the State University of Maranhão (UEMA) about project management based on agile methodologies. Identifying students' interests and involvement in the areas studied; Investigating whether there are gaps in students' knowledge in relation to project management and agile methodologies and Developing a proposal for intervention on the subject, with measures to be applied in the production engineering course - UEMA. The research is descriptive and adopted an integrated approach, combining qualitative and quantitative elements, seeking to understand subjective nuances, and characterizing phenomena such as student involvement and knowledge. It uses field research procedures with structured questionnaires, incorporating elements of participant research and action research to propose interventions in the Production Engineering course at UEMA. Forty students were interviewed, predominantly from the final periods of the course. Most of the students showed an interest in the areas of Quality Engineering and Operations, with less interest in Economic Engineering. Despite having been exposed to these concepts in subjects such as Production Management, many students reported having basic or no knowledge of project management and agile methodologies. The majority of students believe that there is a gap in the teaching of these topics and suggested improvements such as mini-courses, inclusion in curricula and specific events for in-depth study. The study proposed a strategic intervention to improve the teaching of project management and agile methodologies in the Production Engineering course at UEMA. After analyzing the results of the questionnaire, it was identified that there was an urgent need to improve the approach to these topics among students. The proposal includes three main stages: a Scientific Event, focused on lectures, workshops and presentations of scientific papers; a Training and Integration phase, with mentoring programs, study groups and technical visits; and an Educational Competition, to promote engagement, teamwork and practical application of the knowledge acquired. The initiative aims to prepare students more effectively for the challenges of the job market, enriching their academic training and encouraging the search for continuous knowledge