Evasão e retenção durante o período de aulas remotas: focalizando estratégias pedagógicas exitosas mobilizadas por docentes da área de Ciências Humanas da UFU

Abstract

This study is an integral and initial part of the research entitled “Education, Technology, and Communication: Connections Between Knowledge and the Study of the Impact of Pedagogical and Media Strategies Used by UFU During the Period of Remote Classes,” funded by FAPEMIG – APQ-00853-22, duly registered with the Ethics Committee for Research on Human Beings at UFU under protocol CAAE 8227 1624 1 0000 5152. With regard to PPGED, the research was developed within the scope of the Research Line and is linked to the Research Line on Knowledge and Educational Practices. It focuses on the phenomena of dropout and retention during the suspension of in-person classes and the establishment of Emergency Remote Academic Activities – AARE (2020) at the Federal University of Uberlândia within the field of Human Sciences. The investigation was guided by the following question: What was the scenario of dropout and retention among Human Sciences students at the Federal University of Uberlândia during the suspension of in-person classes and the establishment of AARE 2020 during the pandemic period? And what pedagogical strategies developed by the faculty achieved the highest success during AARE 2020? The general objective is to understand the scenario of dropout and retention in Human Sciences courses during the period in question through documentary research, as well as to identify the pedagogical strategies developed by the faculty that achieved the highest success during AARE 2020. The research, which is exploratory and descriptive in nature, began with a literature review on this topic. Subsequently, the analysis of official institutional documents (such as Reports and Resolutions) contributed to the understanding of the context, which was later detailed by three professors who taught courses in the field of Human Sciences during the AARE – Stage II period and whose courses achieved the highest success rates. Although “success rate” may not be the ideal term to use in this context, it is important to highlight that the research is based on the relationship between the number of enrolled students and the number of students who passed. The term “success rate” is derived from the expression “Academic Performance Coefficient” (RCA), a percentage that identifies the achievement in the courses taken by the student. The results of the interviews conducted are interpreted in light of the readings of official documents and reference bibliographies. It is concluded that, despite a small sample (three professors), the interviewees indicate (and qualitatively detail) their main teaching strategies: the use of web conferencing platforms to stimulate synchronous dialogue, adaptation of materials for the virtual environment, and attempts to form stronger social bonds among the subjects involved in the teaching-learning process. The faculty members' reports show that it is not the technology (in instrumental terms) that determines the quality of the class but rather the clarity of the pedagogical objectives intended when using it.