Education and Research is a publication of the School of Education of the University of São Paulo – FEUSP. Since 2018, it is published in a single issue per year. It publishes original articles on education in Portuguese, Spanish and English. The articles result from theoretical or empirical research or literature reviews characterized by a consistent dialogue with the educational field and the area of study to which they are affiliated, by detailing of conceptual and methodological work, by the explanation of analytical processes and by the relevance of their contribution to the development of knowledge in Education.
Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Educação
Authors assume exclusive responsibility for the concepts expressed in their articles, which do not necessarily reflect the journal’s opinion. Permission to photocopy all or part of the material published in the journal is granted provided that the original source of publication be assigned.
Study of the relationship between affect and cognition in the migration from face-to-face to remote learning
This article investigates the relationship between affective and cognitive dimensions in higher education during the transition from face-to-face to virtual learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is based on the principles of the historical-cultural approach. The objective is to analyze the intrinsic relationship between affectivity and cognition, the modes of action experienced, apprehended, and objectified by participants in higher education pedagogical processes in the movement of structural and methodological changes. The following procedures were adopted for data production and collection: online focus groups, reports, questionnaires, and document analysis. The research method was inspired by historical-dialectical materialism, and the field research approximates the case study procedure. The data were analyzed in stages, and the results were grouped into three analytical axes. Essential objective conditions for the development of online pedagogical processes were revealed, along with challenges and contradictions in the planning and execution of pedagogical actions. Feelings of fear, anguish, and concern stand out. A qualitative leap in pedagogical processes is observed, enabling the development and integration of practical knowledge gained during the pandemic with theoretical knowledge through a praxis. The dialectical interrelation between affectivity and cognition is revealed in the professors’ search for improvements in pedagogical practice, in the encounter as an important mediation, and in meeting the academic and professional needs of professors and students. The need for the professionalization of pedagogical processes is evident, especially when mediated by digital technology, where rigor and generosity coexist dialectically, constituting the conscious expression of the unity of affect and cognition in pedagogical activity.
Copyright (c) 2026 Educação e Pesquisa https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Literacy learning in the early years of primary education: a systematic review of Brazilian scientific production (2013-2023)
This systematic bibliographic review focuses on literacy learning in Brazil from 2013 to 2023. Our aim is to find articles with scientific evidence about practices that favor literacy learning in schools in the early years of primary education. This systematic review followed the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations. We analyzed 33 articles in four categories: pre-literacy factors; methods, strategies, and resources for literacy learning; reading difficulties, especially in special education students; and reading assessment instruments. Our results show (a) the coexistence of several perspectives on literacy learning (especially on the centrality of phonemic awareness, the relevance of preventive interventions for difficulties, the need for systematic and explicit teaching, and the interrelationship between reading and other areas of knowledge); (b) the predominance of research analyzing reading assessment and/or verification instruments to the detriment of those dedicated to teaching practices that ensure reading mastery; and (c) the emphasis of research on teaching perspectives and assessment instruments, with few investigations on effective practices and strategies in literacy learning. These results raise reflections on the alignment between scientific production and the political decisions that guide the financing of reading programs, especially regarding the need for such decisions to be anchored in socially impacting scientific evidence.
Considerations for promoting prosocial behavior in university students: A systematic review
In a world increasingly shaped by self-actualization, the pursuit of prosocial behavior is a valued means of addressing a lack of commitment to others. While this is a long-standing topic in primary and secondary education, it has only recently gained traction in higher education (tertiary). Hence answering the question of what considerations should be taken into account to promote prosocial behavior in university students is of relevance. To respond to this question, a scoping review of the accumulated knowledge regarding prosocial behavior in university students was conducted, considering a total of 39 articles selected following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A map of existing research is generated to aid in conceptualization, topics related to the concept of prosociality are identified, experiences of higher education institutions in training their students in prosocial behavior are mentioned, and instruments on the subject are described. The results show that, while much remains to be explored, there are valid experiences and instruments for measuring prosocial behavior training initiatives that demonstrate promising results in overcoming individualism. It is concluded that prosociality increases commitment to others, but for this to occur, unlike other educational levels, prosocial training requires universities to demonstrate a high degree of coherence between discourse and practice in order to achieve meaningful results.
The contributions of Carl Jung and Carlos Byington to an ethical education
Ethical problems are present in every dimension of human life. Discussions of education and ethics are scarce and insufficient, and they fail to offer practical proposals capable of addressing the current context. Profound Pedagogy and Symbolic Pedagogy offer reflections that may provide a foundation for a non-moralistic ethical education. In this sense, the aim of this study is to identify the contributions of Carl Gustav Jung and Carlos Byington to pedagogical practice, especially with regard to ethical education. To this end, the research method guiding this study is a conceptual analysis of the theoretical reflections of Jung and Byington on education. According to these perspectives, one possible path toward an ethical education would consist in establishing, within the educational system, a pedagogy centered on personality development, encompassing all dimensions of Being in both students and teachers. In this way, one may conceive of an ethical education that is not centered on the teaching of a specific moral code, insofar as ethics is understood as a structuring function of consciousness. We thus see that Profound Pedagogy and Symbolic Pedagogy offer reflections that may help address the ethical question within the pedagogical relationship and, ultimately, contribute to a better world.
Institutional self-evaluation in higher education: understandings, uses, and meanings attributed by educational managers
Institutional self-evaluation, established within the National System for the Evaluation of Higher Education (Sinaes), is a strategic instrument for enhancing management in higher education institutions. However, the literature and practice suggest that its effective use as a management tool remains limited and uneven across institutions. This article analyzes how educational managers understand, use, and assign value to institutional self-evaluation in three Brazilian higher education institutions with distinct legal and administrative structures, focusing on its effectiveness as a tool for strategic management.” The study adopts a qualitative, applied approach with descriptive-exploratory objectives, based on a multiple case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with institutional directors and program coordinators, complemented by document analysis, and analyzed using content analysis. The findings indicate varying levels of institutionalization of institutional self-evaluation (AAI), which is most effective when integrated into planning, management, and collective participation. The findings suggest that the effectiveness and efficiency of institutional self-evaluation depend not on its formalization alone, but on the effective use of its results to inform decision-making. Its strategic value, in turn, is shaped by institutional evaluation culture, stakeholder engagement, and the integration of its results into decision-making.
Maria das Graças Gonçalves Vieira Guerra
The fake anthropologist: the place of schools in anthropological research with children
This article arises from the following problematization: what is the role of schools in childhood studies? Based on two ethnographic experiments, in different contexts (rural and urban)-the first in a peasant community in Paraíba and the second in stilt houses in São Luís do Maranhão-this article emphasizes schools as opportune places to listen to children and observe their experiences with childhoods in their life contexts. Therefore, the article reconsiders data produced in two disparate fields to problematize the role of schools in anthropological research on/with children. Beyond a legitimate space for cultural production and knowledge mediation, schools are analyzed as a social space for ethnographic research with children, while also assessing the role of the researcher and its implications in the research field. This text aims to support the Anthropology of Education and Childhood Studies by elaborating a critique of the common idea that in addressing children in school they would be considered only as learners. The title of this article is based on comments by Capuxu teachers who found it strange that, when researching children, I did not attend school. The rumors that teachers questioned my absence from school reached me through the children, forcing me to adopt measures so my research would not be discredited.
“Our body is directly connected to our teaching practice”: training processes in early childhood education
This article presents data from a postdoctoral research project that analyzed the perceptions of Early Childhood Education teachers from a municipal public school system regarding training processes mediated by experiences involving the body and movement, and their possible repercussions on educational-pedagogical action with children. Studies on the subject have shown that formative experiences involving the body and movement are scarce, both in initial teacher education programs and in continuing education. The descriptive memorials written by 49 Early Childhood Education teachers comprised the corpus of the analysis, which was examined through Grounded Theory. The emerging categories were i) connection with reality; and ii) body: presences and absences. The teachers’ narratives show the relevance of continuing education sessions that mobilize reflections and experiences that dialogue with pedagogical practices and the children’s demands. They also emphasize that, despite the processes of (re)construction, reflection and (re)signification that take place in the individual context of each teacher, what mobilizes them are the face-to-face and collective continuing education encounters. In addition, they highlight the potential of experiences involving the body and movement in training processes, since the engagement and appreciation of body-mediated experiences, are proportional to the attribution of meaning by professionals.
Between bridges and walls: prescriptive regimes and dilemmas in a vulnerable- territory school
The article focuses on the description and the logic that guide the perception of a professional group (managers and teachers) from a public school located in a vulnerable territory in Belo Horizonte (MG) regarding the public they serve. It specifically analyzes how the territorial dynamics of a favela region in the city of Belo Horizonte (MG), marked by socio-spatial vulnerability, contribute to shaping the school team’s perceptions and practices regarding the students and their families. We start from the sociological paradigm that the physical space is a reification of the social space, in which and through which social agents are built. Thus, the study articulates the territory effect - used here as an index that sums up social and economic advantages of social groups due to their location in the social space of the city - with the analyses and interpretations about the relationship between students and families with the school. The data used were gathered through interviews, focus groups, field diaries, and documentary material gathered during research visits to the school. We conclude that the prescriptive regimes and the pedagogical relationship tend to be predominantly grounded on labeling students and families; however, discursive modulations sensitive to a relativization of stigmata can establish cooperation moments and regimes.
Pedagogias da Sul: decolonial perspective in continuing professional development for education of ethnic-racial relations
This article analyzes part of the experience of a teacher professional development project conducted by the Regional Education Office of Campo Limpo (DRE-CL), during the government of Mayor Fernando Haddad in São Paulo (2013-2016). Pursuant to the objectives for education detailed in the program of goals of the term of office in this period, the professional development project of DRE-CL set as one of its objectives to enforce laws no. 10,639/2003 and no. 11,645/2008. To this end, the Office elaborated a series of professional development activities, such as courses and seminars, with contents that challenged curricular bases, rooted in the Eurocentric white Western intellectual canon. Thus, an approximation with the decolonial theoretical and methodological perspectives was started, which grounded most of the training processes developed by DRE-CL during the period considered. “Da Sul,” the expression found in the title of this article, values this political-pedagogical proposition originated in the south region of the city of São Paulo, inspired by the decolonial epistemic insurgence produced in the global South, referring to one of the key books published in this context (Santos; Meneses, 2010). In this paper, based on the review of the documents produced by DRE-CL in the period, especially its Pedagogical Political Project - unpublished document in the municipal system - and the syllabi of organized professional development events, the objective was to understand this professional development project, in terms of conception, scope, and outcome, which confirm its protagonism in the history of the Municipal Education System of São Paulo. As provisional conclusions, the following stands out: - the project of Campo Limpo seems to have had an influence on the professional development proposal of the Municipal Department of Education (SME); - the decolonial perspective favored territorialization of the SME curriculum, reinforcing the constitutional principle of Democratic Management; - including the historical-critical approach, the decolonial perspective contributes to deepening and radicalization to combat racism in education.
Regional Education Office of Campo Limpo
Didactic materials within the context of bilingual deaf education in mathematics teaching: sistematic review
The formal education for the deaf in Brazil dates to 1857, with predominance of oralist paradigm, centered on lip and speech reading, to the detriment of the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). The inflexion towards bilingualism started in the 1990s, driven by the deaf movement mobilization, the advances in linguistic sign studies, and the international recommendations for inclusion. Despite these advances in the normative and theoretical fields, it can be noted that educators still face significant difficulties to access and use accessible didactic materials, especially those appropriate to the particularities of the deaf bilingual education. In this sense, this research performed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) aiming at analyzing academic productions that prepared and applied accessible materials of mathematics for deaf students of bilingual education. Fifteen papers published between 2013-2023 were reviewed, which abstracts were processed by the Iramuteq software, making possible to conduct a lexical and categorical analysis of the data. The results indicate a low production of materials for mathematics teaching to this public, focusing predominantly in the final years of elementary education. In addition, it was found that most of the resources do not introduce Libras directly inserted in the materials as first language, thus limiting its accessibility. Such findings reinforce the need for extending the production of bilingual didactic and accessible materials, which are critical to ensure an inclusive and equitative mathematics education for students of PEBS.
Discursive interactions in small-group work: a case study in a Brazilian primary school
Much research has shown that small-group work plays an important role in learning, promoting cognitive growth and conceptual understanding. However, these positive outcomes are mainly achieved when group talk is productive. Addressing a gap in the literature, this paper explores discursive interactions within small-group work in a Brazilian primary school. The data were collected from three Year 5 classes in a countryside school of Minas Gerais. The study quantitatively analyses 42 episodes of group-work talk, characterizing the context of the talk (content, instruction, and off-topic) and the discursive functions of the utterances (invitation, dialogic invitation, contribution, dialogic contribution, follow-up, and dialogic evaluation). The coding scheme was specifically designed based on key aspects of dialogic talk as defined in the literature. The study reveals that groups spend half of their time discussing the task content, while the remainder is devoted to task instructions and off-topic conversations. When students focus on the content, most utterances are contributions (24% of which are dialogic) and fewer than one fifth are invitations (8% dialogic). The paper also examines variations in code frequencies across different tasks and groups. Only a few differences were found to be statistically significant. The study concludes that Brazilian students do not typically interact through dialogic talk. This finding is discussed in relation to three conditions: shared understanding, minimal shared knowledge, and the management of disagreements.
Strategies used by teachers to prevent school dropout among children with cancer: an integrative review
Childhood cancer is a health problem that entails physical, mental, social, and educational consequences for the child and their family, potentially jeopardizing the continuation of their studies. Teachers are essential for maintaining a welcoming school environment, and their actions allow for adaptation to the new reality and prevention of school dropout. This study aims to describe the strategies used by teachers in preventing school dropout among children with cancer. This is an integrative review, guided by six methodological stages, conducted from January to May 2024, in the LILACS, MEDLINE, BDENF, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases, with studies available in open access and published between 2007 and 2024. The search findings were analyzed in pairs and blindly through a data reduction process, and the final sample (n=5) was evaluated according to the national guidelines for the development of the School Health Program. Teachers can prevent school dropout through measures based on supporting the social network, communicating with and engaging parents, the school community, and healthcare professionals, as well as adapting the reality and learning environment to provide enriching experiences for children. It is understood that actions related to bringing educators, the school community, parents, and society closer to the health situation of children with cancer allow for the amplification of intervention possibilities and better opportunities for the inclusion of children with cancer in school.
Indiscipline and grade repetition: the intricacies of a relationship
In this article, we present part of the results of an ethnographic study on indiscipline in the classroom, focusing more specifically on the observed correlation between disruptive behavior among 6th and 7th grade students in Elementary School and their chances of retention. We analyze this event from a perspective that combines classical sociological variables, such as sex/gender and social class, and others factors to the classroom context, such as disciplinary environment and the teacher-student relationship.We problematize the nature of the social interaction process in the classroom, which tends to attribute to male students a bigger chance for disruptive behavior, at the same time assuming that acceptance of the forms of school order is natural to girls. The anthropological approach to classroom configurations, based on observations, interviews, and other research instruments, such as a socioeconomic questionnaire, a school environment index, a teacher-student relationship index, and a sociogram, made it possible to identify students and teachers conceptions of indiscipline and how they assimilate the synchronism between being “undisciplined” and a “good student,” as well as to detect the rejection of so called troublemakers by their peers.The results show significant differences in the forms of indiscipline practiced by boys and girls, and reveal that the most challenging behavior of male students deeply affects the teacher-student relationship to the point of influencing the school trajectory of those most involved in indiscipline, including students who are able to combine this type of behavior with strong academic performance.
Distance-based initial teacher education in Brazil: A state-of-the-art review
This study arises from the debates about the proposed National Curriculum Guidelines for distance-based teacher education and the implementation of the recently proposed National Student Performance Exam (Enade) for teaching degrees. With the intent of contributing to the critical debate on these guidelines and their underlying conceptions, this paper sets out to map academic studies on distance-based initial teacher education in the Brazilian context, in order to identify the primary themes and their considerations regarding the quality in teacher education. For this purpose, a “state-of-the-art” review was conducted using the CAPES Catalog of Theses and Dissertations and the CAPES Journals Portal. The data collection covered the period from 2019 to May 2024, resulting in a corpus analyzed in light of the categorization criteria of Zawacki-Richter (2009). Results point to a limited number of studies that establish specific distance learning quality benchmarks. No evidence was found that increasing in-person hours guarantees course quality. It is concluded that there is a mismatch between state regulation, centered on face-to-face requirements, and academic production, highlighting the need for research that goes beyond documentary analysis to investigate the effectiveness of hybrid model.
Factors related to secondary school students’ expectations of completing university studies in Argentina and Chile
This paper uses micro-data from the PISA 2022 Assessment Programme to study the factors related to secondary school students’ expectations of completing university studies in Argentina and Chile. We estimate a logistic regression model on the probability of having expectations of completing university studies in each country. The results show that, despite the differences between the two higher educational systems, factors such as gender, the socioeconomic level of the student, their parents’ education, his/her educational attainment, and the type of school attended (public or private) influence, in the same direction, youths‘ expectations regarding university studies. However, there are significant differences in the magnitude of the effects of some variables in the countries analysed. In particular, the expectations of middle and high-class students compared to those from lower class are higher in Argentina than in Chile. The results could be a consequence, on the one hand, that lower-income secondary school students in Argentina have reduced chances of graduation than lower-income secondary school students in Chile. On the other hand, despite the access and financial barriers present in Chilean higher education, the chances of graduation are greater than in Argentina. Note that while access to public higher education is open and tuition-free in Argentina, in Chile, a free tuition policy has been introduced for lower-income groups, and some private sector institutions have lower barriers to entry than the most selective group of public and private institutions.
Authentic subjectivities: in theater, dance, and capoeira angola at the intersection of different educational modalities
This study examines the understanding of lived experiences of artistic embodied practices in formal, non-formal, and informal educational contexts, involving theater, dance, and Capoeira Angola2. The research was conducted with teachers and students engaged in these practices, which took place, in some cases, within regular schools and, in others, in specialized schools dedicated to these modalities, community spaces, street settings, and theater venues. The study is grounded in a phenomenological theoretical framework and includes a bibliographic review of research on theater, dance, and Capoeira Angola in relation to educational practices and subjectivity. Data analysis was carried out through intentional cross-analysis, an operation that enacts phenomenological reduction following the production of experiential accounts obtained through semi-structured interviews conducted within a stance of suspensive listening3. The objective was to comprehend how students and teachers who engage in theater, dance, and Capoeira Angola in diverse educational contexts experience these practices as processes that foster authentic subjectivity. It is argued that such practices may contribute to the development of personal potentialities and to the realization of a meaningful experience of the self across different educational settings and at their intersections. The moving body in these artistic expressions is thus emphasized as a site for the constitution of authentic subjectivity.
Academic challenges and coping strategies in initial teacher education: a systematic literature review
This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature on research that has investigated the academic challenges and coping strategies experienced by students enrolled in teacher education programs. It also analyzed the relationship between these variables and the psychological dimensions of the multidimensional model of self- regulated learning (motive, method, time, behavior, and physical and social environment). A search was carried out across seven databases, following the guidelines of the PRISMA statement. Based on the established criteria, 16 articles were included: 12 international studies involving pre-service teachers and four Brazilian studies involving pre-service teachers and bachelor’s degree students. The main academic challenges identified in the reviewed studies were related to time management, financial difficulties, internship activities, emotional and psychological stress, institutional challenges, teacher-student and peer relationships, cultural and social expectations, professional identity development, and adaptation to new teaching methods and technologies. Both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies were reported, revealing the complexity of students’ experiences in the face of academic adversity. Some articles addressed self-regulated learning variables, such as self-efficacy and learning strategies, relating them to academic challenges and coping strategies. However, no study analyzed academic challenges and coping strategies in relation to all six psychological dimensions of self-regulated learning. This article examines this relationship, discusses its plausibility and underscores the need for further research-especially in Brazil-to support initiatives aimed at fostering the development of teachers who are more strategic and better equipped to deal with academic challenges and demands of the future teaching profession.
Effects of a dialogue method applied in an interdisciplinary group in the environmental field
This research sought to contribute to a deeper understanding of the effects of methodologies that foster dialogue learning. To this end, we analyzed the effects of a dialogue method applied in a thematic research project carried out in Brazil and funded by FAPESP. The project brought together several researchers from different fields of knowledge to work together toward new environmental governance. Using qualitative approach and intervention research principles, the dialogue method was tested throughout a course, and data were collected through questionnaires, participant observation, researcher-written documents, transcribed recordings of the course sessions, and participant logbooks. The analyses sought to identity three types of effects: cognitive changes, relational changes, and collaborative actions. As the research progressed, the findings indicated that the dialogue method promoted cognitive and relational changes in the researchers. On the other hand, no evidence of collaborative actions emerging among them was found. These results have interesting implications for the continued development of studies on the dialogue learning process and its effects, especially in relation to the method investigated in this research.
From salaried professor to stipend-based professor: the precarization of labor relations in the Open University of Brazil (UAB)
This article examines the legal nature of teaching labor within the Open University of Brazil (Universidade Aberta do Brasil – UAB), specifically focusing on the roles of Supervising Professors and Tutors. Despite the expansion of public distance education, a significant gap remains in understanding how recent administrative changes have affected the labor rights of these professionals. By analyzing the Brazilian Consolidation of Labor Laws (Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho - CLT) alongside specific regulations – such as Decree 5.800/2006 and Administrative Ruling 102/2019 – this study investigates whether these teaching activities meet the legal criteria for a formal employment relationship. The findings reveal that successive changes in selection and contracting norms have fundamentally altered the legal status of teaching work. While official regulations deny an employment bond, the daily professional dynamics – the reality of the contract – clearly exhibit the legal hallmarks of employment. Consequently, the current system violates the principle of “Primacy of Reality over Form”. This study concludes that the transition from salaried remuneration to stipend-based compensation has weakened labor protections, institutionalizing the precarization of teaching labor within the Brazilian state.
Programa Piauiense de Alfabetização (PPAIC): “alfabetizar na idade certa, não importa a que custo
This study analyzed nine official state-level documents that regulate the Piauí Literacy at the Right Age Program (PPAIC). The Program is structured around five axes: strengthening learning; strengthening municipal and school management; cooperation, coordination, and incentives; communication and engagement; and external assessment and monitoring of indicators. The objective was to highlight the interfaces between PPAIC and neoliberal- oriented policies and to identify how the actions encompassed by the Program affect the transition from Early Childhood Education to Elementary School. A qualitative research design was adopted, and data was produced through documentary analysis. The results indicate that, although PPAIC represents a collective effort to ensure literacy by age seven, it aligns with market driven logics grounded in managerialism, competitiveness, and meritocracy, which generates contradictions with the principles of a democratic rule of law state. The study concludes that guaranteeing the right to literacy, as well as ensuring a transition that promotes care, continuity of learning, and pedagogical coherence, must be addressed in relation to broader issues expressed in both extra and intra school dimensions. This requires an intersectoral, inclusive, and democratic policy grounded in principles such as respect for the autonomy of school systems and educators, recognition of student diversity, and adequate funding.
Transition from early childhood education to elementary school
Contardo Calligaris, educator: notes on the educationalizing bias in the circulation of psychoanalytic ideas in Brazil
This exploratory study examined the newspaper columns of* Folha de S.Paulo *written by Contardo Calligaris between 1999 and 2021 and published weekly in the newspaper. The aim was to describe and analyze an initiative undertaken by the psychoanalyst outside the technical-professional framework of psychoanalysis, capable of driving a discursive game made possible by effective verdictive mechanisms. The empirical archive of the study was stablished and analyzed according to two complementary levels: first, the construction of a thematic map of the material; and then, the reordering of the discursive mass through the assembly of the statements in circulation based on the following analytical vectors: Psychoanalysis/psychoanalysts; Brazil/Brazilians; Education; Society; Subjectivity; and I, Contardo. The processing of the material made it clear that Calligaris, by positioning himself as an interpreter of the present, promoted the spread of a discursive logic that disposes, incites, and ultimately manages to govern the ways by which the subjects of the present (self-)constitute themselves, according to an operative nexus centered on a psychologized interiority.The writings of Calligaris are marked by the effort to comment on the challenges of life and human relations. The psychoanalyst’s long-standing work in the aforementioned newspaper denotes his intellectual authority, as well as the recognition and legitimization of his ideas. His work transcends the vulgarization of the psychoanalytic discursive arsenal and results in the multiplication of a properly educationalizing environment.
Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Continuing education in practice: research as an educational process in rural education
This article presents a discussion on concepts of continuing teacher education based on a concrete experience—planned and developed between 2018 and 2024—involving the university and the municipal education system, as well as teaching, research, and extension. The empirical realities, according to their characteristics, led to a theoretical and practical debate on Rural Education, given the nature of the schools served by an extension project, as will be presented throughout the article. The methodological procedures were based on participatory research, involving a series of practical interventions with the schools. The actions developed for this education process included: the offering of a specialization course for schoolteachers; educational support for students from the participating schools; and joint interventions with the communities of these school institutions. With the development and completion of the activities, formative processes and intervention projects were carried out. Based on these experiences, it is possible to affirm that research in education is a practice that benefits schools and their communities, the university and research, as defended by authors such as Paulo Freire and Carlos Brandão, who advocate for a form of science grounded in reality as a means of transforming it.
Design-Based Research (DBR): repositioning interdisciplinary studies for an integrated methodological perspective
This article investigates Design-Based Research (DBR) as a suitable methodological framework to respond to the challenges of interdisciplinary studies in the educational field, particularly aiming to articulate theory and practice in complex, dynamic contexts. In this regard, considering a critical review of the literature, the discussion covers the origins, characteristics, conceptual disputes, and organizational forms of DBR, thereby highlighting the pragmatic, iterative, collaborative, and situated nature of the methodology. Drawing on classic and updated references in the learning sciences, arguing that the DBR is capable of overcoming the limitations of traditional methodologies -- often removed from real contexts -- by integrating the development of educational solutions with the production of applicable theoretical knowledge. Accordingly, the research presents a case study that employs DBR in the formulation, testing, and refinement of a pedagogical proposal for teaching philosophy with digital technologies. In this sense, the process stages -- grounding, conjecture formulation, iteration, and reflection cycles -- are described. Furthermore, data production and analysis methods (field diary, teacher evaluation, and online questionnaire) are detailed, with the entire approach being articulated by a triangulation strategy. In conclusion, DBR operates simultaneously as a process and as a methodological product, allowing the construction of educational artifacts as well as the formulation of design principles based on real contexts. This article defends DBR in the learning sciences because of its ability to generate situated, responsive, and theoretically robust knowledge.
Suicides in a Brazilian public university: documentary analysis of occurrences from 1990 to 2023
This study aims to analyze suicide deaths in a public university in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1990 to 2023. It conducted documentary analysis of 32 suicide occurrences in the university. As a result, the study presents two main categories: Numbers that speak of time and pain: the portrayal of suicide in university settings, which demonstrates that suicide cannot be understood solely as a number, but as an expression of a web of pains that manifest in the educational context recurrently over time; and Pain that speaks of people: the singularity of student distress, which shows occurrences with similar characteristics, with the majority of people being associated with the university, consisting of men, especially young ones aged 20 to 25 years, predominantly in Humanities programs. The theoretical approach based on Frantz Fanon and Émile Durkheim enabled a shift from the idea of suicide as a phenomenon exclusively related to individual vulnerability to an understanding of suicide as a sociogenic phenomenon and as a social fact, according to the effect of social, economic, and cultural structures that inform student life. The study also problematizes the limitations of the “Janeiro Branco” (White January) and “Setembro Amarelo” (Yellow September) campaign-based models adopted in Brazil, which tend to individualize social distress. Suicide in university settings expresses serious mental health indicators and reinforces the need for student distress no longer being made invisible and for universities to constitute spaces of care, solidarity, and inclusion of collective coping strategies.
The role of philosophy in integral human formation in the face of utilitarian advancement
This article, which is situated in the field of philosophy of education, aims at questioning the utilitarianism that has increasingly shaped educational discourse, in order to state the importance of integral human formation, as well as the role of philosophy teaching in it. It draws on the argumentative context of Ordine and Nussbaum to defend that reducing the idea of usefulness to economic interests represents an affront to the very idea of education. The text is organized into three sections. The first one defines integral human formation, based on the Greek Paideia, as a general, disinterested way of education that presupposes skholé, a space and time free from utilitarian interests. The second part addresses the alleged uselessness of philosophy, characterizing it as knowledge and an end in itself, thus free from utilitarian determinism. The third one discusses the role of philosophy in human formation, defending two central arguments: philosophy as a cultivator of a philosophical attitude, and philosophy as a literary tradition that favors free thinking. The philosophical attitude, which dates back to Socratic non-knowledge, whose practice is linked to doubt, reasoning and conceptualization, is essential for the development of free minds in democratic societies. The literary tradition in philosophy offers a formative collection, capable of generating more universal perspectives than those given in the immediacy of the utilitarian context, thereby opening a window to free thinking.
Teacher expectations and math proficiency: evidence from SAEB 2017 in public schools
High school remains one of the main bottlenecks in the Brazilian educational system, especially for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Student proficiency, used as a proxy for educational quality, is associated with different school factors, among which teacher expectations stand out. This study analyzes the relationship between teacher expectations and the mathematics performance of 11th-grade students in Brazilian public schools, using microdata from the 2017 Basic Education Assessment System (Sistema de Avaliação da Educação Básica - SAEB). For this purpose, a three-level multilevel model (students, classes, and schools) was estimated, including a set of control variables related to the school and family context. The results indicate that very high teacher expectations are positively associated with student performance in mathematics, even after controlling for socioeconomic characteristics and school processes. This result highlights the importance of teacher expectations as one of the mechanisms capable of mitigating educational inequalities and contributing to school effectiveness. In addition, the study shows that the impact of expectations is not limited to motivational aspects, but translates into measurable learning gains, which broadens the understanding of the school factors that influence educational quality. Thus, the results provide support for policies aimed at teacher training and capacity building, highlighting the relevance of teacher expectations for building a more equitable and promising school environment.
Evidence verification and information sources in academic assignments elaborated with generative Artificial Intelligence
A pre-experimental study with post-test evaluation and a control group was conducted to assess the results of using a tool for verifying information sources, in the learning of this skill and in reflecting on the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) for the development of academic assignments by university students. Thirty university students participated in the online program, divided into two groups: EG (n=20) and CG (n=10). The EG participated in a synchronous session in which information was presented on the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) and its relationship to critical thinking. Following this, they were guided in using a questionnaire to verify the quality of the evidence and information sources provided by GAI. The study shows a shift towards higher scores in the identification of relevant characteristics of the evidence in the EG, but less clarity regarding the quality of the information sources provided by GAI and whether they can be verified. It is concluded that the verification of evidence and sources of information is important as part of the critical thinking skills needed for learning in higher education, as well as the necessity to educate students about its ethical and responsible use, and to educate teachers about the implementation of strategies that integrate it in the classroom.
Copyright (c) 2025 Educação e Pesquisa https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Continuous professional development in Science and Mathematics Education: a decolonial strategy from the perspective of the Ethnomathematics program
This theoretical essay aims to present a continuous professional development initiative as a decolonial strategy for Science and Mathematics education, developed through the lens of the Ethnomathematics Program and Law No. 10.639/2003, and carried out by a collective of teacher educators with diverse professional backgrounds. The experience was situated in the course Special Topics in Mathematics Education: Ethnomathematics, Ethnosciences, and Decoloniality—Knowledge and Contexts in Research and Teaching Practice, offered within the Graduate Program in Science and Mathematics Teaching at the Federal University of Uberlândia and delivered virtually to a group of in-service Basic Education professionals from various fields of knowledge, including Mathematics, Physics, Biology, and Chemistry. Within the framework of the Ethnomathematics Program, the continuous professional development process supported the collective construction of knowledge by integrating interdisciplinary understandings and teaching experiences into formative practices centered on the collaborative planning of lessons and on learning assessment dynamics oriented toward the implementation of Law No. 10.639/2003. This process fostered a formative environment in which the teaching collective not only emphasized instruction but also foregrounded student learning, drawing on learners’ contexts and perspectives to promote critical reflection on their own pedagogical practices. Moreover, the continuous professional development initiative contributed to a process of analysis and (self-)development among the teacher educators, which became evident in two key dimensions: breaking away from epistemological constraints and challenging traditional assessment models.
THEME SECTION: TEACHER TRAINING, THE DECOLONIAL DEBATE AND LAWS 10639/03 AND 11645/08 AND LAWS 10639/03 AND 11645/08
Critical Decolonial Interculturality as an analytical lens for the Espaço de Bitita
This article examines, through the lens of Critical Decolonial Interculturality, selected educational practices at the São Paulo municipal school EMEF Espaço de Bitita, internationally recognized for its effective inclusion of migrant students. The ethnography, conducted between 2019 and 2021, highlights how the school implemented intercultural and decolonial approaches in a context of cultural diversity and social challenges amid the pandemic. The diversity present in Brazilian schools, further intensified by migratory flows, demands educational practices that respond to the challenges posed by social inequalities and the colonial legacy. Espaço de Bitita stands out for initiatives such as the projects Escola Apropriada, Rádio de Bitita, Discutindo gênero para uma cultura de paz, and the Roteiros de Aprendizagem, which incorporate elements of migrant cultures into the curriculum, fostering an inclusive and respectful environment. The ethnography draws on Modernity/Coloniality Theory and Critical Decolonial Interculturality to analyze how the institution challenges colonial power structures through its actions and initiatives. During the study, the school faced challenges such as flooding and the Covid-19 pandemic, revealing the complexity of implementing a just education within a context of structural inequalities. The research contributes to the Anthropology of Education by offering insights into how schools can value cultural diversity and contest colonial structures. The ethnographic experience demonstrated that critical intercultural education not only acknowledges diversity but also seeks to transform power relations, promoting a more equitable and democratic society. Bitita exemplifies how innovative educational practices can emerge in response to challenges, advancing inclusive and culturally responsive education.
From institutional consolidation to open science: the Educação e Pesquisa journal in historical perspective
The interview with former editors-in-chief Émerson de Pietri, Cláudia Valentina Assumpção Galian, and Cássia Geciauskas Sofiato, conducted by Roni Cleber Dias de Menezes, is part of the fiftieth-anniversary celebrations of Educação e Pesquisa, the journal of the School of Education at the University of São Paulo. The dialogue reconstructs the recent history of the periodical, highlighting the consolidation of its institutional structure, the strengthening of its editorial board, and the expansion of its presence in both national and international scientific contexts. The interviewees’ reflections reveal the inherent tensions of editorial work, particularly in view of the demands imposed by indexing systems and the new guidelines of open science, which introduce practices of transparency, data sharing, and the redefinition of evaluation processes. Their experiences underscore the formative dimension of editorial work, understood as a space for collective learning, ethical debate, and the defense of intellectual autonomy. The conversation also addresses the impacts of internationalization, technological transformations, and the incorporation of artificial intelligence on scientific communication and the criteria of authorship and originality. By reaffirming the importance of academic integrity, collaborative work, and the preservation of a critical and plural space, the former editors outline the contribution of Educação e Pesquisa to consolidating an editorial culture committed to the public and democratic nature of science.