Tutoria por pares nos anos finais do ensino fundamental para estudante com Transtorno do Espectro Autista

Abstract

Peer Tutoring (PT) is conceived as a learning support and guidance strategy in which students facing difficulties receive personalized assistance, while those with greater ease can deepen and enrich their knowledge. Therefore, the overall aim of this study was to understand the influence of the Peer Tutoring strategy on the social interaction and academic participation of a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Specifically, it sought to understand the classroom dynamics and interactions between the student with ASD and other classmates, as well as the role of teachers in these interactions; implement a PT program; and examine changes in the social interaction, behavior, and academic engagement of the student with ASD throughout the PT implementation. To achieve this, the research adopted an intervention-based qualitative approach. Participants included one student with ASD in the final years of elementary school, seven typically developing peers, one Portuguese Language teacher, and one Mathematics teacher. The study was conducted in a municipal elementary school. Six observation sessions were conducted during the initial phase, and 60 sessions during the implementation phase, along with semi-structured interviews with all participants at both the beginning and the end of the study. Data collection instruments included a field diary, observation protocols, and interview guides. From the systematization of the findings, three analytical categories were established: Action, Interaction, and Participant Engagement. The results suggest that PT can be an effective strategy for promoting the school inclusion of students with ASD, as it enables the development of social, academic, and behavioral skills in the student with ASD while also benefiting other students by fostering a learning environment that values diversity. This study contributes to the field of Special Education from an Inclusive Education perspective by providing empirical evidence of the benefits of PT for students with ASD and offering an intervention model that may be replicated in other educational settings. However, it is important to acknowledge certain limitations, such as the small number of participants and the specific school context. Further studies with larger samples and in diverse contexts are necessary to expand the findings and deepen the understanding of PT’s impact on the development of students with ASD.