Educação de jovens e adultos e a evasão escolar: o caso do Instituto Federal do Ceará - campus de Fortaleza.

Abstract

In this work, we aimed at identifying the stronger factors that contributed to the dropping out of high school integrated to the professional education. The analyzed sample group belongs to the EJA modality at Federal Institute of Ceará (IFCE) – Fortaleza Campus. In order to improve the probabilities of finding more reliable and consistent answers, we worked with all involved segments in the pedagogical process: current ones and students that drop out, teachers, administrative staff and the pedagogue. This research was defined as an empirical case study with descriptive and explanatory features. Moreover, we intended to analyze: a) the composition of the curriculum, b) the dynamic of the relationship between teacher and student, c) the infrastructure conditions of the IFCE regarding the good performance of the course, and d) the more relevant issues which motivate the student to abandon the course. The methodological process of investigation, composed of three phases, occurred sequentially from 2009 to 2011. Summarily, these phases were: bibliographic, documental, and field researches, helped by techniques of focus group; participative observations; and semi-structured surveys along the investigated segments. With the purpose of founding our possible findings, we made a review about the history of the EJA and of the professional education in Brazil. Additionally, we defined the IFCE’s aspects, its PROEJA system, and, particularly, its students. Considered as theorical, work of Makarenko (1987), Freire (2000) and (2001), Bourdieu (1992), McLaren (1992), the work of Haddad (2000), Kuenzer (1997), Frigotto (2005), Ciavatta (2008), Oliveira (2003), of Andriola (2003), Almeida (2008) and Marconatto (2009), among others. From content analysis, we obtained speech samples of participants, distinguishing 188 (32.41%) for questions related to pedagogical practice, 163 (28.10%) related to dropping out, 161 (27.76%) related to permanence and 68 (11.72%) related to infrastructure. Based on the speech samples, students’ profile, and overall observations, it was found that the "internal factors" from the institution had a high contribution to dropping out of that campus.