Adolescentes em tempos de pandemia: sentidos atribuídos à escola por estudantes da rede de ensino privada e pública de Uberlândia-MG

Abstract

The pandemic moment and the preventive measures adopted had a strong impact on the educational context, with the suspension of face-to-face classes, the establishment of Emergency Remote Teaching, the different positions taken and actions taken by schools (private and public) and their repercussions on schooling processes . Therefore, the present work had as main objective: to know, understand and discuss, from the perspective of Historical-Cultural Psychology, the meanings attributed to the school by the adolescents of the private and public education network in Uberlândia-MG during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present qualitative and longitudinal research was carried out remotely, between September 2020 and September 2021. Nine adolescents participated in the study who, in 2020, were enrolled in high school. The investigation consisted of four main steps: 1) Filling in a questionnaire on the Google Forms platform; 2) First semi-structured interview; 3) Second semi-structured interview; 4) Nine Group Practice meetings. The first and second stages were carried out between September and October 2020, with all nine participants. The third was carried out in May and June 2021 with six of these adolescents. Finally, the last stage was carried out between July and September 2021, with four of the initial participants. The analysis of the present study was intensified after reading the answers to the questionnaire, writing a field diary after each of the above steps, and transcreating the recordings (from the interviews and excerpts from the group practice). The analysis was based on the dialectical historical materialist method, thus building the three thematic axes: 1st) Before the pandemic and the meanings attributed to the school; 2) The meanings attributed to the school during the pandemic period; 3) The post-pandemic future: hopeful imaginations. Regarding these axes, we observed that the school is described by the adolescents as an essential space for socialization, something that is intimately articulated with the other roles of this institution. A dimension that practically disappeared during the pandemic, significantly impacting the connection of students with the learning process, with a decline in the understanding of content and deprivation of relevant experiences for the development of these adolescents. However, the presence of the school, albeit remotely, was identified as important for the organization of the study routine and life of these participants. However, the teaching relationships mediated by technologies were proving to be insufficient. The expectations for the post-pandemic school reveal, at the same time, the hope of changes and anguish in the face of the uncertainty of what was to come. We also noticed a discrepancy between the meanings and experiences of adolescents from public and private schools, especially during the pandemic, which highlighted the inequalities present in the schooling processes. We understand that it is important for the school psychology professional to understand the repercussions of the pandemic period on schooling and the experiences of adolescents, in order to think about effective practices and strategies.