Letramento digital de estudantes da Guiné-Bissau: o caso do uso das tecnologias digitais no projeto Unilab

Abstract

The overall objective of the dissertation was to investigate which digital technologies have been used in secondary schools in Guinea-Bissau over the last ten years, through the application of questionnaires to Guinean students who came to study for a degree at UNILAB. Since 2010, the country's Basic Education System Law has emphasised the importance of using information technology and other technologies as important resources in the Guinean teaching process. The study covers two areas of knowledge, Communication and Education. To address Educommunication in particular, we refer to the classics by Freire (1983; 1996). In the field of Communication, we draw primarily on the studies of Braga (2011) and Martino (2019). In the field of Education, we draw on the studies of Soares (2004); Cury (2010); Kleiman (2010); Oliveira (2010) and Santos and Zúcula (2025). In the area of social transformation and ethical responsibility for the use of digital technologies, we draw on the studies of Hans Jonas (2006) and Lira (2018). In the context of methodology, we rely on the studies of Maldonado et al. (2024); Minayo (2007) and Bardin (1977). Methodologically, this is a qualitative case study. Questionnaires were administered to eleven Guinean students who had recently arrived at UNILAB, between the first and fourth semesters, and who had completed secondary education in Guinea-Bissau schools. The questionnaires were administered between 5 and 18 January 2026. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. After analysing the data, it was concluded that digital literacy is not yet a reality in secondary schools in Guinea-Bissau, despite the country's main education law stating that computer and technological equipment are important teaching resources for the teaching-learning process in the country. The eleven participants in the study reported that they experienced (and some still experience) difficulties with the use of digital technologies at university. They recommended the introduction of computer science in secondary schools in Guinea-Bissau to minimise problems for students in higher education, where they will have to engage with the use of different digital technologies.