O impacto da COVID-19 no cotidiano dos estudantes universitários: desempenho acadêmico, desafios e oportunidades

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was enacted on March 17, 2020. The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus had an impact on the daily lives of society. Several isolation measures were needed to prevent community transmission. In this context, public universities adopted emergency remote classes to maintain pedagogical activities. The aim of this study was to analyze the pandemic impacts on the institutional and academic routines of university students. It is a qualitative research, with methodological strategies related to case studies and documental research. The study was carried out at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), involving 353 students from 93 different courses, aged between 17 and 78 years, representing all centers of the institution. The data were obtained from official UFPB documents and through a semi-structured questionnaire applied to participating students. The University provided regulations to the Remote Emergency Education and created a committee to confront COVID-19 that provides clarifications and recommendations for conducting activities digitally. There was structural and digital inclusion assistance for students in need alongside with emergency psychological assistances. Of the participants, 7 out of 10 consider that they do not have an adequate environment to conduct their academic assignments. Complaining of structural difficulties, noises outside and inside their homes and lack of family support. It was possible to observe a pattern in the participants' speech and formulate four categories: Perception of functionality with 12.6% of the participants; Perception of sensitivity and empathy with 42.6%; Individualist Perception with 28% and Perception of criticism and disgust with 16.8%. As for mental health, 72.2% of the participants claim to have psychological illnesses, and these developed or worsened during the pandemic, the most mentioned illnesses are anxiety and depression. However, 84.1% of students admit that they needed to extend the term of their course, and the failure rates are 13.3% and evasion rates of 39.1%. Finally, students recognize that remote learning has advantages and disadvantages in ensuring academic performance, but the results indicate that they are unmotivated, stressed, poorly understood and learning less. It is understood that the home environment may not be a planned place for academic responsibilities, but, from the context of the pandemic, homes may be rethought as extensions of universities. For the new era of online education appears to be here to stay, and at first it requires investment and support. It is expected that this work will contribute to university management of strategical educational processes that are more appropriate to the real demands that involve the academic community. This way the University Education will be contributing on a more equal and just educational system.