A systematic literature review of classroom observation protocols and their adequacy for engineering education in active learning environments

ABSTRACT

This research discusses the characteristics of a global set of Classroom Observation Protocols (COPr) to uncover their design goals and assess the value propositions for Engineering Education (EE) in active learning environments. To achieve the research purpose, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method was chosen, based on a process-oriented model that covered a set of 23 global databases, from January 2000 to December 2020. The search and screening process retained 109 literature sources for deep study, after quality assessment. The research results revealed the approaches of 111 classroom observation applications and 68 different protocols. The upward trend of new protocols and applications in the last 6 years identified by the study has resulted in considerable information overload for practitioners. The authors address this by analysing the 68 protocols, characterising them and listing the strengths of each one aligned with the EE context. They achieve this goal by applying a systematic 4-category and 5-dimension framework to compare the protocols. The bibliometric data also reveals how the observation strategies in active learning environments incorporate Engineering disciplines in several applications over time, with 82% of the total.

KEYWORDS:

• Classroom observation protocol
• engineering education
• active learning
• value proposition
• systematic literature review

Acknowledgements

The authors of the present article thank CNPq, CAPES, and FAPEMIG for the financial support granted to various projects that supported the development of this work. The authors are also grateful to the editor and the anonymous reviewers, whose valuable comments on an earlier version of this paper helped to improve this work significantly.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) and FAPEMIG (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais).

Notes on contributors

Leovani Marcial Guimarães

Leovani Marcial Guimarães is an Associate Professor in Operations Management disciplines (Quality Management, Production Systems and Control, Logistics and BPM) at the National Institute of Telecommunications (INATEL) – Brazil since 2003. He is also a researcher and member of LogTranS – Center for Logistics, Transportation, and Sustainability at Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI) – MG – Brazil, with interest in Operations Management and Engineering Education. He received his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from UNIFEI in 2021 and his Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Campinas – SP – Brazil in 2003.

Renato da Silva Lima

Renato da Silva Lima is Full Professor in Logistics and Transportation at the Federal University of Itajubá, Brazil since 2003, where he leads the research in the LogTranS – Center for Logistics, Transportation and Sustainability with interest in Freight Transportation Modelling/Simulation and Reverse Logistics. He is also fellowship at Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) since 2007. He received his Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2003, and was Visiting Scholar at University of Minho, Portugal, in 2006 and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the USA, in 2018.