REMOTE TEACHING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A VIEWPOINT ACCORDING TO PAULO FREIRE’S APPROACH

ABSTRACT

Objective:

to report the authors’ experiences during remote teaching in the postgraduate course in Nursing and Health, in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic, from Paulo Freire’s approach.

Method

experience report based on direct observation and student participation in curricular activities, between March and June 2021, at a public university in the State of Bahia, Brazil. Data were recorded in a field diary, organized by thematic approach and analyzed through the action-reflection-action process.

Results

Three dimensions were identified that revealed the scenery experienced in emergency remote teaching, aimed to ensure the qualification of higher education in health.

Conclusion

The conversations during the remote classes pervaded challenges and innovations in planning and in class practice and re-signified the process of characterization of teaching practice. The prospect of offering a high quality course, stimulating the action-reflection-action process in teaching-learning became clear.

KEYWORDS:
Nursing Teaching; Higher Education; Nursing; Postgraduate Education; COVID-19.

RESUMO

Objetivo

relatar as experiências dos autores durante o ensino remoto na pós-graduação em Enfermagem e Saúde, frente à pandemia de Coronavírus, sob a perspectiva de Paulo Freire.

Método

relato de experiência a partir da observação direta e da participação nas atividades do componente curricular, entre março e junho de 2021, em uma universidade pública no Estado da Bahia (Brasil). Os dados foram registrados em um diário de campo, organizados por aproximação temática e analisados a partir do processo de ação-reflexão-ação.

Resultados

identificaram-se três dimensões que descortinaram os horizontes vivenciados no ensino remoto emergencial na perspectiva de buscar a qualificação da educação superior em saúde.

Conclusão

observou-se que os diálogos realizados nas aulas remotas perpassaram por desafios e inovações no planejamento e na prática de aula e ressignificaram o processo de caracterização da prática docente. Evidenciou-se uma perspectiva de proporcionar o curso com qualidade, estimulando o processo de ação-reflexão-ação no ensino-aprendizagem.

DESCRITORES:
Educação em Enfermagem; Educação Superior; Enfermagem; Educação de Pós-Graduação; COVID-19

RESUMEN

Objetivo:

relatar las experiencias de los autores durante la enseñanza a distancia en el posgrado en Enfermería y Salud, frente a la pandemia del Coronavirus, en la perspectiva de Paulo Freire.

Método

relato de experiencia basado en la observación directa y participación en las actividades del componente curricular, entre marzo y junio de 2021, en una universidad pública del Estado de Bahía (Brasil). Los datos fueron registrados en diario de campo, organizados por abordaje temático y analizados a partir del proceso acción-reflexión-acción.

Resultados

se identificaron tres dimensiones que revelaron los horizontes vividos en la enseñanza a distancia de emergencia en la perspectiva de buscar la calificación de educación superior en salud.

Conclusión

se observó que los diálogos realizados en las clases a distancia pasaron por desafíos e innovaciones en la planificación y en la práctica de clase y dieron un nuevo significado al proceso de caracterización de la práctica docente. Se evidenció una perspectiva de dotar al curso de calidad, estimulando el proceso de acción-reflexión-acción en la enseñanza-aprendizaje.

DESCRIPTORES:
Educación en Enfermería; Educación universitaria; Enfermería; Educación universitaria; COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION

In 2020, the pandemic caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) significantly impacted teaching models around the world. In Brazil¹, the Ministry of Education issued an ordinance that guided the replacement of face-to-face classes with classes in digital media during the pandemic situation. The new scenario led to an emergency demand in education, given the need to adapt to the virtual format through digital technologies ²-³.

Despite the situation described, it should be noted that distance education, remote teaching and online learning are not new approaches to Pedagogy. However, they reignited debates on the construction of a proposal suitable to the context ²,⁴. Thus, remote teaching is characterized as an emergency aimed to meet unexpected requests with the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). So, efforts need to be made to overcome the vulnerabilities of educational systems ¹,³,⁵.

The abrupt rupture of the conventional teaching format and the need to restructure the classrooms impacted the students’ lives, especially in the training processes that value the exchange between subjects³-⁵. A barrier is then created between educator/student due to social distancing, which is pointed out as one of the current challenges. However, this separation happens naturally in human life, since, consciously, people distance themselves from each other to make themselves present ⁵-⁶.

According to Paulo Freire’s thought, reflection emerged from a naive curiosity that evolved into criticism. And the educator’s permanent critical reflection on his/her practice is transformed through the move from doing and thinking about doing. Reflection is the move from doing to thinking, from thinking to doing, or else, on “thinking to do” and on “thinking about doing” ⁷.

That said, the action-reflection-action triad states that there is no inseparability between theory and practice and that they are interconnected and walk in a dialogic way for the construction of knowledge ⁸-⁹. Therefore, the constitution of the critical subject must favor social transformation, through the action-reflection process, since reflection comprises the concrete situations of the subjects in the reality lived ⁸.

Although the context of health education prioritizes training consistent with this movement, few studies address remote teaching in the current scenario. Therefore, this study is relevant, since the experience report can support reflections about the educational process in this modality and promote similar experiences. Thus, the present study aimed to report the authors’ experiences during remote teaching in the postgraduate course in Nursing and Health, in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic, according to Paulo Freire’s perspective.

METHOD

This is a descriptive study, of the experience report type, on emergency remote teaching, in the discipline Didactic-pedagogical Training in Nursing and Health, in the postgraduate course in Nursing and Health, in a public university in the State of Bahia, Brazil. The study was based on direct observation and participation in the teaching activities of this discipline, from March to June 2021.

Classes were taught using the Google Meet® platform, with synchronous and asynchronous moments. Observation data were recorded in a field diary in the form of notes, meeting minutes for the construction of the seminar and lesson plans organized by thematic approach.

As this is a study with the exclusive participation of the authors of this manuscript, the inclusion criterion was that the authors had experienced the discipline during the pandemic period. As individual identification was not possible, it became unnecessary to apply the Free and Informed Consent Form or to have the project registered/evaluated by the Research Ethics Committee. Confidentiality of the participants was guaranteed, and the information provided was kept confidential and secure, as recommended by Resolutions No. 466/12 and No. 510/16 of the National Health Council.

To facilitate the understanding of the data, the experience was divided into three dimensions by thematic approach: The postgraduate course in Nursing and Health and the discipline Didactic-Pedagogical Training in Nursing and Health; Pedagogical training in health education: importance and interfaces and Focus on new technologies in the areas of education and health: remote teaching and pandemic. The data contained in the notes were analyzed separately, in their parts and in relation to remote teaching. The report was based on the analytical thinking of the action-reflection-action⁶ process, in order to build a possible path for remote teaching in postgraduate studies.

RESULTS

Based on the findings, convergent themes were identified, which were grouped into three dimensions: The postgraduate course in Health and Nursing and the discipline Didactic-pedagogical Training in Nursing and Health; Pedagogical training in health education: importance and interfaces and Focus on new technologies in the areas of education and health: remote teaching and pandemic. These dimensions will be explained throughout the discussion.

In each class, the participants discussed the role of educators in the teaching and training of health professionals, based on materials previously made available by the professors of the discipline. Thus, knowledge and instrumentalization were provided for planning and class practice, in addition to the possibility of re-signifying the process of characterization of the educator, the student and the practice itself.

However, due to the large number of students, not all of them were able to express themselves as they wanted, and this was a limiting factor. In class, the students were positioned on “their frames”, through a camera, each one in their location of study, at home or in the workplace. Active methodologies were used, with classes taught by professors of the discipline, by guests and even by the postgraduate students themselves, through seminars and lesson plans for certain topics.

Based on the methodology proposed and used in the discipline, the participants were able to immerse themselves in the action-reflection-action process. Reflections arose on the training of professionals in postgraduate studies that were discussed in the discipline based on themes such as: the real purpose for postgraduate training. A distinction was made between the meanings of Lato sensu and Stricto sensu and training to be a “professor” in the context of Higher Education in Health, which generated a reflection on the need to build pedagogical knowledge for those who wish to pursue this career.

The discipline provided a “start” for pedagogical training in health education, because during the classes the texts provided by the professors stimulated them to also seek new references that supported a critical reflection on each of the subjects discussed. In addition, there were experiences of integration, through partnerships with other institutions, to broaden the vision of the process experienced in the current scenario of global health.

It is worth mentioning a class during which the professor used the traditional format, demonstrating that this model can be developed in the virtual environment, although it provides less critical and dialogic reflection. Such activities enabled a training process based on the theoretical foundations of teaching in health. The scientific works and research discussed in the virtual classes showed that the process of educational training in health, in the current context, is still trying to break paradigms, ratifying the qualification and interdisciplinary action.

Thus, the students in a multidisciplinary postgraduate program and enrolled in the discipline of Didactic-Pedagogical Training in Nursing and Health at the public university were able to experience some advantages, disadvantages and challenges, presented by the context. These advantages, disadvantages and challenges resulted in reflections that led them to (de)construct new paradigms regarding the use of technologies in the process of training and education in health, since their use was essential at that time.

As observed in the strategies used for the teaching-learning development, the lesson plan agreed and made available provided for synchronous and asynchronous moments to get the most out of the classes. Among the synchronous activities agreed upon, holding a seminar with specialists in the subjects addressed generated reflections on the various possibilities of using technologies in the teaching-learning process.

Thus, it is understood that the strategies used for remote teaching, with a view to professional training through information technologies and educational communications, involve major challenges to be faced and overcome by students and professors in their adaptation to the current context. Therefore, the teaching-learning process of the subject was quite satisfactory.

DISCUSSION

For the description of the results, the findings were discussed based on the converging themes.

Studies have shown that the priority purpose of Stricto sensu postgraduate programs is “scientific-technological development”. However, historically, the need to count on professionals with master’s and doctorate degrees in Higher Education was perceived. Hence, there was a reduction in the distance between the knowledge and the know-how of the educators, and therefore it was necessary to include one more attribute for master’s and doctorate programs - the supervised curricular internship - as a way of achieving this objective ⁹-¹¹.

In addition to technical-scientific knowledge, educators must have training that adds ethical-political, conceptual, cultural, relational and attitudinal knowledge. Freire⁶ emphasized that it is not just about training or instrumentalization. Thus, given these needs, nurses’ didactic-pedagogical training, in addition to being taught as a discipline, must also consider the current contexts ¹².

Thus, adaptations contribute to overcoming a traditional teaching model that is very common in educational institutions, where students are supposed to assimilate the subjects and reproduce them. Described and criticized by Freire⁶, the banking education model advocates that the educator’s role is limited to the transmission of content.

In the context experienced, adaptations were made based on methodologies that provided changes in scientific and pedagogical paradigms¹⁴. Thus, adapting to electronic resources, as the predominant means for the development of recreational activities, seminars and thematic group discussions, was one of the biggest challenges faced to clarify doubts and obtain effective communication ¹⁵.

In emergency remote teaching, the Internet has become essential as an important alternative to face-to-face education. In this scenario, the use of telecommunication tools (online applications and platforms) was strengthened to ensure the continuous development of virtual teaching and learning ¹⁶.

However, the unpreparedness of educators for remote teaching and the lack of a structure really capable of meeting the needs disclose a problem that needs to be solved urgently. According to a study carried out by the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA), about six million students, from preschool to postgraduate studies, do not have access to the Internet. In addition, aspects such as unequal socioeconomic conditions confirm that students and educators are unable to participate in the remote teaching modality ¹⁵.

Based on the concepts presented here, the elements for a progressive education make us reflect on the challenge posed above, in addition to understanding the action-reflection-action process as a theoretical-methodological foundation⁶. Thus, this exercise unveiled horizons that were experienced in emergency remote teaching, seeking to improve higher education in healthcare.

CONCLUSION

The sharing of these experiences aims to contribute to a dialogic formation of these future masters, in addition to favoring an understanding of the importance and the interface of the discipline for the training of educators in health and guiding the management of higher education in times of public health emergency.

The reported experience permeated concerns and reflections about emergency remote teaching in the referred discipline and revealed the challenges and innovation strategies, the moments of transformation and adaptation of the teaching process and the reorganization of teaching plans and classes in which knowledge and experiences were transmitted through virtual means. The construction of a lesson plan made it possible to experience an action-reflection-action process on the planning of Higher Education strategies that go beyond the face-to-face modality to meet the needs of the current context.

Regarding the discipline, which is the focus of this study, the result obtained here was satisfactory, as through a training process based on the theoretical foundations on teaching in health, the process of action-reflection-action in teaching- learning in the teaching practice was stimulated.

In this report, only observational data that sought to record the anxieties generated by emergency remote teaching, reflecting the action-reflection-action triad as a process of knowledge construction were presented. Therefore, it is suggested that new studies be carried out to expand knowledge on remote teaching practices in the healthcare area, contributing to the improvement of teaching practice and research.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We thank the support of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel - Brazil (CAPES), according to Protocol No 88887.643413/2021-00 and to CNPq, for the Research Productivity Scholarship under Protocol No 205736/2018-1.

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Edited by

Associate editor: Luciana Kalinke

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  04 Nov 2022
• Date of issue
  2022

History

• Received
  02 Feb 2022
• Accepted
  23 May 2022