ACTIVE LEARNING IN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING: AN INVESTIGATION FROM THE GRADUATES’ PERSPECTIVE

INTRODUCTION: Today’s technology market makes clear that software engineers must go well beyond code: mastering technical competencies is only a starting point, while behavioral competencies and professional attitudes are the true career differentiators. Active learning methodologies have emerged as an essential pedagogical bridge to narrow the gap between traditional classrooms and the demands of professional practice. AIMS: This study investigates how Software Engineering graduates perceive the practical impact of these methodologies on their current professional routine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research was structured as a census-type survey following the seven-phase process proposed by Kasunic (2005). Data collection yielded 83 total questionnaire accesses, of which 67 respondents provided formal consent and 35 advanced far enough to answer at least one competency-assessment item, forming the valid analytical sample (n = 35). A prior literature review consolidated and catalogued 35 hard skills and 27 soft skills relevant to professional practice, which were cross-referenced with the institution’s course syllabi and curricular axes to build the technical framework used to validate the field questionnaire. RESULTS: Results show that active methodologies are perceived as having a significantly stronger impact on soft skills than on hard skills. In the behavioral domain, Communication, Cooperation, Teamwork, and Decision Making received the highest ratings, dominated by the High and Very High categories evidence that collaborative, project-oriented learning environments create natural conditions for the continuous exercise of these competencies. In the technical domain, disciplines with an established practical orientation, such as Requirements Engineering, Agile Methods, and Process Modeling, also showed markedly positive perceptions, while Research Methods in Computing, Big Data, ICT Clinic, Organizational Learning, and IT Policy and Innovation recorded the lowest positive-perception rates. Notably, DevOps and Cloud Architecture and Solutions showed the highest proportions of “Not Applicable” responses among all technical items, suggesting limited curricular exposure to these emerging topics rather than a negative perception per se. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: Taken together, these findings reinforce the pedagogical relevance of active learning methodologies for software engineering education while pointing to concrete directions for improving the program’s pedagogical project particularly regarding the integration of active practices into more specialized and emerging technical disciplines.

KEYWORDS: Active Learning Methodologies; Project-Based Learning; Software Engineering.