ABSTRACT:
To what extent are dropout and students’ experiences in undergraduate Physics courses related to pressure for academic excellence? Drawing on sociology of education, we performed an analysis of data collected from the Physics course at a Brazilian public university. Evidence indicates that students from privileged families tend to drop out, but those who remain tend to be successful. At the same time, dropout is not related to academic performance: there are excellent students who want to leave, as well as underperforming students who want to stay. Curricular austerity contributes to students having gaps in their education. With few exceptions, teachers are described as oppressive, demanding, and merciless figures. On the other hand, competitive relationships are perceived among the students themselves. Finally, even though dropout is not related to academic performance, the urge for excellence structures students’ experiences in the course.
Keywords:
Dropout; Excellence; Higher Education; Undergraduate Physics
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Fonte: autores.