Brazilian University Research Articles

Popular knowledge as popular power: struggle and strategy of the Emancipa popular education movement in Brazil

ABSTRACT This paper is a written dialogue among four activists from the Emancipa Popular Education Movement in Brazil, following the principles of Freirean pedagogy as a ‘circle of culture’. It delves into how popular knowledge can be experienced as popular power, narrating the history, struggles, and strategies employed by the Emancipa movement in their pursuit of democratizing Brazilian universities. The discussion is set within the context of Latin American structural inequalities and the issue of educational exclusion in Brazil. It emphasizes the vital role of contesting culture and knowledge as part of the movement’s fight against social injustices perpetuated by peripheral capitalism, including racist violence and gender oppression. The paper adopts emancipatory pedagogy as the method to empower and mobilize grassroots efforts in this transformative endeavour.

Abusive Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages and Associated Factors in Brazilian University Students.

The university is considered an environment that favors the initiation and use of substances, especially those that are legal, such as alcohol. This consumption can be differentiated in university students, which makes it necessary to better understand this behavior. Taking into account these aspects, we analyzed the abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages in university students and its association with socioeconomic and behavioral factors. We conducted a cross-sectional study with regularly enrolled students. We assessed the abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages using the binge drinking pattern. We collected socioeconomic and behavioral data using a questionnaire. The association between the variables was verified using logistic regression. Abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages was high, with a high weekly frequency. The association with sociodemographic and behavioral factors can increase the health risk. Education campaigns within institutions with students in the classroom and with all those who can influence these students are important. As there are few studies that consider other health risk factors that have not been analyzed yet, such as those treated in our study, with the abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages, this study seeks to contribute to the knowledge of the relationships between these variables and in the elaboration of actions aimed at improving the lifestyle and health of university students.

Universities, collections, university museums and sociomuseology: a hybrid network of dialogues

This article intends to analyze the contemporary context of Brazilian collections and university museums from the perspective of sociomuseology. Data from this specific category of museums are presented, here called in their heterogeneous set as University Museological Nucleus. Aspects of its potential and challenges for social demands are presented, with emphasis on the inclusion of contemporary museum processes that seek to insert inclusive narratives within traditional structures, in academic environments, historically constituted. The objective is to develop a reflection based on texts that address aspects of the museum field in built spaces, or even in projects, that operate in higher education institutions, in the field of research, teaching and cultural extension, based on collections formed for academic purposes, and that currently intend to expand their original attributions, to glimpse the society, from the perspective of their individuals as historical agents. The cooperation networks are inserted in the present study as a systemic complex, constituting themselves as an action strategy in the face of social challenges for the communication of university museological heritage. Here we are not looking for conclusions and directions, but the construction of a discourse that can contribute to the instigating debate on the relationship between sociomuseology, museums and universities. Key words: University museums; University; Sociomuseology; Cooperation networks.

Brazilian University Ecomuseums: Challenges and Potentialities

The present article aims to analyze the Brazilian University Ecomuseums, their actions, projects, challenges and potential when being considered a hybrid museum, being simultaneously an Ecomuseum and a University Museum. We highlight the relationship between theory and practice of an Ecomuseum, prioritizing the integrated action of communities and their heritage and territories. And the university pillars in teaching, research and extension and how an Ecomuseum inserted in this scope enhances its mission and scientific and community values. This work makes use of the theoretical-conceptual foundation of this type of museum, involving the notions of territory, community, scientific and integral heritage, and the challenges and potential of a university Ecomuseum. In the interaction and integration of knowledge, subjects and interests, investment is made in the transforming power of knowledge and its own forms of production, enabling the realization of an “ecology of knowledge”. The ecomuseum becomes a field of multiple research, of different research groups, undergraduate and graduate courses, covering as an object of study and heritage the territory, with its fauna, flora, rivers, sea, anthropic processes, stories and memories of the local population. Keywords: Ecomuseum, University, Hibrid Museum, Community, Territory.

The factor structure of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ): new methodological approaches and evidence

BackgroundThe area of self-regulated learning integrates the fields of metacognition and self-regulation and assumes that the student is an active processor of information capable of self-regulating his learning by putting together the cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational components. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) is a benchmark for the measurement of self-regulated learning. However, the field of study does not show adequate evidence of its structural validity. The vast majority of studies involving this question present serious methodological mistakes, compromising the evidence of validity.ObjectiveOur study investigates the structural validity of MSLQ including all 15 scales and corrects relevant mistakes in the previous studies.MethodWe tested different models through item confirmatory factor analysis in a convenience sample of 670 college students (M = 22.8 years, SD = 5.2) from a public Brazilian university in the technological area. The models with the ML, MLR, MLM and WLMSV estimators.ResultsOnly WLSMV produced models with acceptable fit. The final model has a bi-factor structure with a general factor (self-regulated learning), 15 components as first-order factors, and four broad components as second-order factors. Twelve first-order components, all second-order components and the general factor had acceptable reliability. The components’ elaboration, intrinsic goal orientation and metacognitive self-regulation, did not show acceptable reliability, in terms of McDonald’s omega.ConclusionConsidering the worldwide importance of the MSLQ, we do not recommend the use of the measurement of these components for clinical practice and psychoeducational diagnosis until new studies show that this low reliability only occurs in our sample. Our study shows new evidence, correcting many previous methodological mistakes and producing initial evidence favorable to the factor structure of the MSLQ.

Chemical residues that originate from a higher education institution in Brazil

In 2018, a research study was conducted at a Public University in Brazil to investigate the quantity of chemical residues produced during laboratory activities in undergraduate engineering courses. Data was collected from control documents maintained by the institution responsible for recording waste quantities. The results showed that 383.2 liters of solutions were generated with varying compositions. Inorganic solutions without heavy metals produced the highest volume of waste, while halogenated organic solutions produced the smallest. The study highlights the need for better waste segregation and disposal methods to reduce laboratory waste. To minimize the environmental impact of laboratory activities, implementing measures such as proper waste storage, waste exchange, recycling, reverse logistics, and life cycle assessment is essential. Educational institutions need to develop better waste management practices to reduce the amount of waste in landfills.

Searching for Care Excellence in a Brazilian University Hospital: The Evidence Based Nursing Nucleus

Searching for Care Excellence in a Brazilian University Hospital: The Evidence Based Nursing Nucleus

The third mission in brazilian federal universities: an analysis of their impact for the culture and associated actions to the sustainable development principles

The concept of Development as synonym of Economic Expansion has been attacked frequently and deeply. Governments, social groups, intellectual and educational circles are questioning and being questioned about the future. Natural resources have been explored and exploited in a massive path, in a platform that combines technology and capital. In the middle of this discussion, innovation comes to light as the main engine of this development. In another dimension, Universities, relevant actors in the innovation systems, expand their activities to fulfil their Third Mission, beyond the first, Teaching, and second, Research, which means the development of their environment, including Sustainability. So, the question of this paper is if Third Mission and Sustainability are autonomous and opposed concepts to solve the economic, social and environmental problems. The proposition is to point the grade of interrelation between the concepts while development tools of society. The investigation, as an exploratory study, evaluates the intensity of internalization of the Third Mission and Sustainability concepts in the Brazilian federal public universities. Supported by a relevant literature review, the analysis axes were defined. In addition, a review of strategic plans and actions completed the map. A case study added empirical evidence. Results point that universities use the third mission concept. The relationship university- third mission – sustainability has solid links in the Brazilian public universities, which include the themes in their strategic plans. The conclusion of this paper is that Third Mission and Sustainability are not opposed but even embedded concepts.

Twitter conversations on sustainable development goals in Brazilian public universities using natural language processing

This study aims to provide insight into the behavior of Twitter conversations related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by Brazilian public universities (UPBs) using Natural Language Processing (NLP). To achieve this goal, it was decided to develop descriptive research as it explores the characteristics of conversations focused on Twitter, one of the world's most used social media channels. Natural language processing (NLP) techniques based on the R programming language were used to extract and treat conversations held by the UPBs about the SDG objectives on Twitter. The study period is comprised of the creation of the first Twitter account by the universities until the data collection date, that is, between 2008 and 2022, therefore, 15 years of study, during this period, 326,114 tweets were identified. Evidence points to a substantial evolution in tweet publications by universities over the 15 years of studies. Thus, the practically zero publications in 2008 jumped to more than 15 thousand tweets in 2020. These findings show and confirm that universities use this social media to interact with their stakeholders. In addition, the results indicate that the analyzed universities make few publications on their Twitter about SDGs. In fact, of the 46 universities, only 6 tweeted about the subject, representing 13%. During the 15 years of studies, only 31 tweets were made on the subject. We found that the conversations and positions of universities on this subject in their social networks are few, insufficient, timid, and weak. As a second practical implication of this study, universities as centers of research, knowledge construction, and humanistic training urgently need to position themselves more on this subject in their social networks in order to demonstrate the relevance of the subject and inform about their accomplishments, and the need to everyone got involved in the theme.

Associations of academic environment, lifestyle, sense of coherence and social support with self-reported mental health status among dental students at a university in Brazil: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThe study evaluated the association of academic environment, lifestyle, sense of coherence (SOC) and social support with self-reported mental health status among dental students.DesignSecondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional,...

Higher education and recognition of degrees: extension actions from a public and frontier university in Brazil

Resumo Uma questão central para o exercício profissional no exterior é o reconhecimento de diplomas de ensino superior, procedimento cheio de empecilhos, que afeta pessoas formadas em diferentes países. Diante disso, criamos uma ação de extensão (2019-atual) para orientar sobre o tema: O Núcleo de orientação sobre revalidação e reconhecimento de diplomas de ensino médio e ensino superior, projeto desenvolvido em uma universidade brasileira. Com base nisso, pretende-se abordar o procedimento de reconhecimento de diplomas de ensino superior na Argentina, no Brasil e no Paraguai, e relatar e analisar as experiências do Núcleo. Para atingir esse objetivo, trabalhamos com técnicas de pesquisa qualitativa que permitiram observar que há uma grande demanda para o reconhecimento de diplomas no Brasil. Como conclusões, destacamos a relevância de contar com um corpo de profissionais capacitado sobre o procedimento, bem como a necessidade de estabelecer políticas que simplifiquem o processo.

Implicações das atividades práticas no Laboratório de Habilidades e Simulação relacionado a motivação e sentimentos dos alunos

Objective: to verify the implications of practical activities in the Skills and Simulation Laboratory on the motivation and feelings expressed by undergraduate students when returning to face-to-face activities after the social isolation caused by COVID-19 pandemic. Method: a quasi-experimental study, with a single group and of the pre- and post-test type, carried out through an educational intervention based on skills training on medication administration and venipuncture, with medical students from a Brazilian public university. The sample was comprised by 47 students. The instruments of students’ characterization and self-perceived feelings and the Situational Motivation Scale were used for data collection. Results: in the sample, 98% mentioned the lack of practical activities during the pandemic. The most frequently described feeling was anxiety. After carrying out the activity, there was a change in the frequency of expressed feelings, although there was no significant change in motivational levels. External Regulation (5.1 - 5.6), Identified Regulation (6.1 - 6.4) and Intrinsic Motivation (5.6 - 6.0) presented high results, showing similarity to the feelings reported by the learners. Conclusion: motivation is essential for effective learning and the use of active methodologies reinforces skills built in an affective way in the students facing the learning process.

An international partnership between a Canadian and Brazilian University: A descriptive report

Post-secondary programs in health are strengthened when curricula and experiences are internationalized. Internationalization encourages students to think, advocate and practice globally; thus, preparing graduates to contribute to health beyond geo-political borders. However, designing and supporting international experiences in undergraduate health curricula can be challenging due to time and resource constraints, costs, language barriers, and collaborative processes within and across organizations; thus, internationalization is not easily achieved. The purpose of this report is to describe an initiative aimed at supporting undergraduate nursing student experiences in an international partnership program between a Brazilian and Canadian university. First, we describe the project. Second, we present the context of the two partnering undergraduate nursing programs and their respective communities. Third, students from each school describe their experiences with the initiative. Fourth, we integrate our experiences with literature to offer three lessons for moving forward using a framework of resource allocation, fair trade learning, and decolonized competencies. Our report is timely as worldwide, universities are eager to build collaborative partnerships with stakeholders to implement internationalization within curricula. Such partnerships can help students learn about health-related experiences for populations living in distinctive social inequality and inequities in accessing health services.

Use of anxiolytics/antidepressants among university students in the pre-vaccine period of the COVID-19 pandemic

The present study assessed the prevalence of the use of anxiolytics/antidepressants and associated factors among university students in the pre-vaccine period of the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 983 students of public and private universities in Brazil. Data were collected between September and December 2020 with the aid of a questionnaire available on the Survey Monkey® platform addressing socioeconomic data, self-rated health, the use of anxiolytics/antidepressants, history of depression, psychological/psychiatric treatment and aspects of the undergraduate course. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics and Poisson regression with robust variance (α = 5%). The prevalence of anxiolytics/antidepressants use was 15.7%. The use of anxiolytics/antidepressants was associated with the female sex (PR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.03-2.26), dissatisfaction with one’s overall health (PR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.08-1.82), undergoing psychological/psychiatric treatment (PR = 2.85; 95% CI: 1.91-4.22) and a medical diagnosis of depression (PR = 3.44; 95% CI: 2.52-4.70). The female sex, dissatisfaction with one’s own overall health status, undergoing psychological/psychiatric treatment and a medical diagnosis of depression exerted an influence on the use of anxiolytics/antidepressants by undergraduate university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

International competencies development in a virtual exchange for future veterinarians

Over the past years, internationalization has become the gold standard for most higher education institutions and strategies for internationalization at home have grown as a means to foster global learning. Virtual exchange (VE) as an internationalization at home strategy encompasses one of the most innovative teaching methodologies to provide students with an intercultural perspective in the subject area of their academic programs. A total of 158 veterinary students from a private university in Spain and a public university in Brazil participated in a COIL project based on veterinary anatomy and diagnostic imaging. The project’s primary objective was for students to leverage their diverse knowledge and backgrounds to collaboratively discuss a clinical case and create a scientific poster in small groups. This practice report aims to demonstrate the potential of VE in veterinary sciences by detailing the collaboration design and presenting students’ perspectives on their experiences. The results of a postcollaboration survey indicate that this methodology effectively stimulates students to engage globally and fosters their personal and professional development.

University indigenous students' perspectives on climate change and survival of indigenous peoples in Brazil: a concept mapping study.

This study aimed to identify what indigenous university students in Brazil perceived to be important and feasible actions to protect the survival of indigenous peoples from climate change-related impacts. Concept mapping, which is a participatory mixed methodology, was conducted virtually with 20 indigenous students at two universities in Brazil. A focus prompt was developed from consultations with indigenous stakeholders and read "To protect the survival of the Indigenous Peoples from climate change, it is necessary to…". Students brainstormed 46 statements, which they then sorted into clusters based on conceptual similarity. They rated each statement for importance and feasibility. Quantitative multivariate analyses of clusters and ratings were conducted to produce multiple visual maps of perceived actionable priorities. These analyses used the Group Wisdom TM software. Students agreed on 8 clusters that reflect the factors that influence the survival of indigenous peoples-preservation of lands 0.16 (SD 0.13), protection of demarcated lands 0.31 (SD 0.10), indigenous health and wellbeing 0.35 (SD 0.14), ancestral customs 0.46 (SD 0.04), global and national actions 0.61 (SD 0.13), indigenous rights 0.64 (SD 0.23), collective living 0.71 (SD 0.21), and respect 0.75 (SD 0.14). The most actionable priorities are related to the respect for their lands and customs, educational initiatives in schools about the importance of indigenous peoples to society, guarantees for basic health rights, and culturally appropriate provision of care, with specific mention of mental healthcare. The findings aligned closely with the concept of indigenous self-determination, which is rooted in autonomy and respect for cultural diversity, and the right to make decisions that impact their lives, land, and resources.

Barriers to turning inventions into innovations in Brazilian public universities

Strong innovation drives enhanced competitiveness in a country, which can only be attained through investments in research and technology. Nevertheless, Brazilian firms deal with incremental innovation in terms of process innovation, design modifications, and product suitability to local market conditions. In addition, despite legislative changes and previous investments, Brazil’s ranking on the Global Index of Innovation (GII) fell from 47th in 2011 to 69th in 2017. This study examines the processes and activities that incorporate laws, norms, and cultures. It identifies the barriers researchers in Brazilian public universities face when trying to turn an invention into an innovation to determine the key features of these barriers and provide guidelines for overcoming them. Small-scale semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 key individuals in organizations involved with innovation at the university – and its limits. Data was subjected to content analysis, and the findings were consolidated based on grounded theory. Results indicate that cultural differences are the most important factor, followed by people’s lack of knowledge about the laws, norms, and policies that support innovation in public universities. Accordingly, the study offers guidelines to help manage barriers to turning inventions into innovations, including structuring the processes and activities to integrate Brazilian laws, norms, and culture, as well as connecting people and institutions to provide various technology transfer solutions.

Development of a system for recording and monitoring Transformative Learning Initiatives at Mackenzie Presbyterian University in Brazil

The summary presented here discusses the processes of implementing training aimed at developing socio-emotional skills in university students. Guided by the theory of Transformative Learning (TL), students are invited to review their assumptions on topics that involve their personal views as ethical, entrepreneurial, reflective subjects, open to cultural diversity and accustomed to sustainable thinking. Such skills are recorded by the student in their e-portfolio, which mainly presents their socio-emotional skills, as well as their professional technical knowledge, with a view to communicating to society the training profile achieved by the students. For this reason, a system was created to record the development of socio-emotional skills and build students' electronic portfolios during graduation. The system is under the responsibility of the Center for Excellence in Transformative Teaching and Learning at Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, Brazil. The proposal is that the system is further improved, and that the repository lasts throughout the student's professional life, also serving as an inventory of their professional life. Finally, it is expected that Artificial Intelligence can be applied, based on records made in the system, to assist in evaluating the development of socio-emotional skills. This will support the choice of the candidate who best adapts to the job vacancies available in companies.

Does vicarious entrepreneurial failure induce or discourage one's entrepreneurial intent? A mediated model of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and identity aspiration

Purpose Given that 45% of new businesses fail in their first five years (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020), individuals often observe others' entrepreneurial failures (EFs) in their vicinity. The purpose of this paper is to review the effects of vicarious EFs on individuals by proposing both entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial identity aspiration as mediators, which are widely studied proximal antecedents of entrepreneurial intent.Design/methodology/approach Using structural equation modeling, the authors empirically test survey data collected from 10,020 college students across 46 colleges or universities in Brazil. The hypothesized model examines the mediating effects of vicarious EFs on individuals' entrepreneurial intent via entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial identity aspiration.Findings The findings confirm that vicarious EFs negatively affect one's entrepreneurial self-efficacy and that entrepreneurial self-efficacy mediates the effect of vicarious EFs on one's entrepreneurial intent. On the other hand, vicarious EFs positively affect one's entrepreneurial identity aspiration, and entrepreneurial identity aspiration mediates the effect of vicarious failures on entrepreneurial intent.Originality/value The entrepreneurship literature focuses mainly on the consequences of EF on those entrepreneurs who have experienced failure. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding how that failure impacts others in its vicinity. This study provides new insight into the effects of vicarious EFs in facilitating individuals' entrepreneurial intent and presents theoretical and practical implications to promote greater levels of entrepreneurial intent in individuals.

Interpersonal relationships of the nursing team in the work environment according to nursing students: A qualitative study

AimTo explore the perceptions of nursing students from Brazilian universities about the interpersonal relationship of the nursing team in the work environment. BackgroundHealthcare institutions are complex entities where diverse professionals from different educational backgrounds work together to provide high-quality care to the population. The effective coordination of services within these institutions is closely linked to the interpersonal relationships among these different healthcare professionals. Nurses play a crucial role as members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, acting as fundamental links between other professionals and patients. DesignThis is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach. MethodsAn online, open-ended questionnaire was used. A total of 30 nursing students participated in the study. ResultsData were organized in two themes: (1) Interpersonal relationships of the nursing team and (2) Improving interpersonal relationships of the nursing team. Also, eight sub-themes were identified: Conflict dynamics within the nursing team, Hierarchical issues, Lack of communication, Impact of workplace interpersonal relationships on nursing students, Valuing the profession, Understanding role boundaries, Training in effective communication and conflict management, and Curricular reform. ConclusionsBlurred boundaries between professional roles, lack of respect, ineffective communication, hierarchical issues, and conflicts, were identified. Of particular concern was the limited interaction observed between the nursing team and multidisciplinary/support teams. Inadequate interpersonal relationships between members of the health team reflect negatively on nursing students during their clinical placements. These findings underscore the urgent need for interventions aimed at improving interpersonal relationships within nursing teams.