FATORES DE PERMANÊNCIA DOS CONCLUINTES NO CURSO DE CIÊNCIAS BIOLÓGICAS A DISTÂNCIA

Abstract

The modality of distance education has as its axis the expansion of access to education, but has lived with various problems regarding the permanence of the student in the form of teaching and learning. In this perspective, the not conclusion of courses has been a frequent problem, especially in distance higher education, which has been estimulate many study to understand this problem. The objective of the present work was analyzed on the factors that had influence the permanence of the academics of a course of Degree in Biological Sciences distance modality. Specifically, the influences of interpersonal and interprofessional relations, the profile of graduating academics,the motivations of the academics, related to the permanence of the academic in the course until its conclusion. As a methodological trajectory, was applied a self-administered questionnaire for the students of the last period of the course. The quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and qualitative data by content analysis of the thematic type. It was observed that the profile of the students who remained until the end of the course was represented predominantly by females (84%) and in the age group 31- 40 (64,5%). With regard to the professional career of the academics, about 96,77%, worked during the course, of which 48,39% were inserted in a 40 hour weekly regime. In addition, a portion of 66.67% stated that they had support from the employer. The interpersonal relations of the graduates were evaluated by 96.77% as an influence for the permanence in the course. In addition, the factors pointed out by the academics as being of the greatest value in contributing to the conclusion of the course are financial motivations, search for professionalization and the motivations acquired by family members, friends, colleagues, tutors and teachers of the course.