Transição escola-trabalho: percepções e expectativas de acadêmicos(as) do curso de Educação Física da UNIFAP

Abstract

This dissertation is linked to the research line in Education, Cultures, and Diversities of the Postgraduate Program in Education (PPGED) at the Federal University of Amapá (Unifap). It addresses the perceptions and expectations of young academics from the Physical Education course at Unifap regarding the school-to-work transition. The school-to-work transition represents a significant challenge for Physical Education students, especially in a context marked by rapid social and technological transformations. In the context of the transition to the labor market, perception, which is a psychological process through which individuals interpret and organize their sensations to attribute meaning to the world around them, plays a crucial role, especially for young academics. The way these academics perceive their opportunities, challenges, and expectations in the labor market can significantly impact their professional trajectories. These perceptions are built from a variety of factors, including the quality of education received, family and social influences, economic conditions, and cultural representations of work. In Amapá, a significant increase in the number of graduates in the area has been observed, with a greater concentration of those trained for health rather than teaching, with Unifap being the institution that has awarded the most licenses (Data MPE Brasil, 2022). Despite the scarcity of detailed studies on the local labor market for Physical Education, data from the Annual Social Information Report (RAIS) indicate that the educational sector is one of the largest employers in the region. In the field of Physical Education, the sports activities and recreation and leisure sector shows growth, albeit slow. This dynamic suggests an expanding market but also points to the need for diversified training that meets local demands, both within and outside the school environment, for the field of Physical Education in Amapá. The research problem is established as follows: what are the perceptions and expectations of Physical Education students at Unifap regarding the labor market? To answer the problem of this research, I establish as a general objective: to analyze the perceptions and expectations of academics from the Physical Education course regarding the labor market after higher education. Regarding the methodological aspects, the research involves Physical Education students from the Federal University of Amapá, who have completed at least 90% of the course, aged between 15 and 29 years, who are considered young. This field study uses a qualitative approach, with the conduct of focus groups to collect data on students' perceptions. The research revealed that students face socioeconomic difficulties and perceive gaps in their training for acting in non-school settings, despite highly valuing practical experiences in internships and projects. There is evident insecurity regarding their entry into the labor market after graduation.