Analysis of curricular aspects of economics' teaching in industrial engineering courses

Abstract

Industrial Engineering is a field that has attracted the attention, especially because of its synergy with other areas of knowledge. In order to think about education in Industrial Engineering it is necessary to consider its relationship and interdependence with other areas. In this way, the relationship with Economics is considered. Although the objectives of both areas and their methods are distinct, they are related in many points. So, the contribution of study economy is directly related to the ways these topics will be studied in the Industrial Engineering courses. It is also implied how these topics will be chosen to be presented. The present paper’s objective is to analyze the teaching of Economics in the Industrial Engineering courses inBrazil. In order to achieve this objective, a documental research has been conducted, using the Content Analysis technique applied to the Teaching Plans of the disciplines covering the Economics contents in 15 Institutions. It has been concluded that the topics covered in the courses are of a broad nature, with emphasis in theoretic content of Economics. Furthermore, the strategies used in classroom, as well as the assessment methods are still of traditional nature.