Iniciação científica e tecnológica na educação superior a distância

Abstract

Considering the low search for undergraduate research (UR) from the Distance Education (DE) students from Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), registered in the Scientific and Technological Undergraduate Research office of this University, we established a diagnosis near the population wrapped with this kind of education, on the reasons that lead to this low production of undergraduate researches, with the central objective to signal proceedings, products and services that could minimize this gap and promote bigger scientific productivity near the undergraduate students from distance education. For so much, we have done a data collection from a virtual focal group developed during the International Symposium of Distance Education and during the Investigators' Meeting in Distance Education promoting a reflection as for the involvement of these students in undergraduate research activities of their institutions. Subsequently a questionnaire had been applied near the degree course students in Pedagogy from distance education of Federal University of São Carlos, so much to complement the informations previously identified in the registers of production of UR in the University, as to validate the informations collected in the virtual focal group that disposed of the participation of different professionals from distance education and from different geographical regions from Brazil. The choice of the distance education degree course in Pedagogy as control group, fountain of data and of validation is due to the fact so much of being a degree course turned to the teachers' formation, main mark of the DE in Brazil, as because of being treated as the course with bigger number of enrolled students. We identified unknowing from these students relative to their participation on UR, as well as lack of interest of undergraduate research for lack of time, incentive and available mentors to guide them. Professionals of the area confirmed the low participation of the students of this kind of education in Brazil, confirming the hypothesis of this research.