Non-Coercion Beyond Virtual Environments: Can Studying Be Pleasant?

Abstract

In Brazil, school dropout exceeded the limits of public schools and can no longer be understood as an unfolding of social factors. One of the explanatory hypotheses for this fact relates boredom, lack of concentration and learning difficulties in the classroom to the constant experiences of children and teenagers in virtual environments. An alternative solution consists of using new technologies at school. However, it is likely that methodological changes are counterproductive if the disciplinary bases of the school system are maintained, as the negative effects of coercion are incompatible with the freedom experienced virtually. This study aims to present relationships between non-coercion and staying in school. For this purpose, it presents the theoretical assumption that underlies an action research implemented at the University of Amazônia, in Belém: spontaneous and pleasurable engagement in activities and recognition of personal and social value are positive effects of non-coercive interactions. Therefore, we investigate whether the formation of small groups with non-coercive characteristics in schools favors among students the development of a pleasurable engagement in academic activities. University students present literary texts to groups of about fifteen students, opening space on a weekly basis for shared reading, reflections and dialogue with the absence of performance evaluations. We have obtained positive results in areas such as assertiveness, empathy, resilience, creativity, autonomy and pleasure in reading, which unfolds in pleasure in studying. We expect that historically naturalized coercion in schools is brought to the center of attention, so that learning can be dissociated from fear and avoidance.

Alternatives to Disenchantment? An Internet-Mediated Research During the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…In addition, the use of storytelling aimed to open space for the pleasure of reading, writing and sharing own creations, evaluated by other studies of ours. Thus, we also seek to indirectly combat the problem of school dropout (Darwich & Garcia, 2019;Darwich, Nunes, & Souza, 2020).…”