Perceptions of lower secondary teachers on school dropout in the pandemic context

Abstract

This study addresses the results of a quantitative investigation focused on perceptions of teachers working in lower secondary education in a low-income area of São Paulo. It aimed to understand these teachers’ views on school dropout during the return to in-person school activities in 2022. The study examined the following questions: teachers’ definition of school dropout, the profile of students at greater risk of dropping out, and whether they received guidance from the municipal department of education during the pandemic. Of the 174 teachers working at the six public schools analyzed, 140 responded to the questionnaire, resulting in an 80.5% response rate. School dropout was chosen as an indicator due to its historic impact on educational inequalities. The results showed that, according to the participants, the students most likely to drop out were boys, Black, and socially and economically disadvantaged—a scenario that is not exclusively the the result of the pandemic. The data show that the teachers were aware of the students at risk, understand their socioeconomic context, and received guidance and public policy recommendations to address the changes in the post-pandemic school environment.