O perfil sociodemográfico de candidatos a cursos de licenciatura a distância e os objetivos da Universidade Aberta do Brasil

Abstract

To know the student who decided to study throughout the distance education, which are his particularities and also his main characteristics is really important to understand what kind of person looks for this kind of education. It is also important to understand if these characteristics correspond with the perspectives of the public policies. This study is part of a research which deals with predictors of academic performance in distance education and it intends to characterize, following the socio demographic aspects, the candidates who want to study in the distance education environment into the undergraduate courses offered by one public university in Minas Gerais, together with the Universidade Aberta do Brasil (UAB). One of the goals of the study was to verify if the main characteristics are compatible with which the UAB advocates. Information from 1274 candidates who study at Cambuí, Confins, Governador Valadares, Ilicínea, Itamonte and Sete Lagoas were taken into consideration. This research is a documental and quantitative one, based in secondary data obtained in the register and academic control department of one teaching institution. The results allowed identify that among the candidates most of them are women, about 30 year-old average, with a monthly income of 850,00 US$. They do not work in the education area and search better social condition throughout an undergraduate study. We also noticed that the most part of the candidates studied in public schools and during the evening. They work 40 hours per week and they live in places where would not be possible to have face to face undergraduate studies. Besides all of these, others aspects will be presented in this research presentation.