Desigualdade no acesso e permanência no ensino superior: um estudo com mulheres mães e não-mães

Abstract

In the formation of societies, distinct roles for women and men have been established. Despite the achievement of rights and the pursuit of gender equality, women face numerous challenges upon becoming mothers, particularly when seeking continuing education. This study aimed to analyze the enrollment and persistence of mother-students in higher education, specifically: (1) to identify the challenges encountered during academic training, (2) to explore post-formation perspectives, and (3) to compare self-efficacy and academic life evaluation between mothers and non-mothers. The mixed-methods research involved 151 women, divided into mothers and non-mothers, utilizing a questionnaire via Google Forms, as well as the Academic Life Evaluation and Self-Efficacy in Higher Education scales. Data analysis was conducted using IRAMUTEQ (CHD) and IBM SPSS (central tendency tests, Shapiro-Wilk, and Mann-Whitney tests). The results indicated lower academic self-efficacy (p=0.032) and academic management (p=0.002) among mothers, with no significant difference in academic life evaluation between the groups. The primary difficulties were related to balancing family and university demands, highlighting a lack of support networks. Post-formation perspectives focused on the pursuit of specializations and postgraduate studies.