Adult education teachers and students in the pandemic context: literacy practices in analysis

Abstract

This article seeks to reflect on a literacy practice for EJA offered by a public education system, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The presupposition of this work is based on the assertion that a literacy practice in relation to EJA must start from the subjects contextualized by their history, by their culture. Methodologically, this is a qualitative and quantitative survey, based on a bibliographical research and documental sources, carried out in two public schools. A questionnaire was applied to teachers and students of Cycles I and II of Adult Education. The organization and treatment of data are based on content analysis. The data indicate that teachers face clearly visible limits in literacy activities in remote format. Monitoring educational performance through reading and writing activities, maintaining social isolation and not having access to other technological resources configure these limits. Regarding the students, the precariousness of the internet signal for downloading the videos made available for monitoring the classes, the absence of a teacher for pedagogical support and the difficulty in handling the cell phone also show the challenges of offering remote learning. In general, the effects of social isolation produce worrying effects on the fragile relationship between the right to education and EJA subjects. Although it is important to register the advances in the relationship between Youth and Adult Education and Literacy, both theoretically and practically in the brazilian education history, on the other hand, it is impossible to ignore the data collected in this investigation, which highlight the worrying/negative effects of literacy practices offered in the remote or hybrid teaching mode.