Permanência de jovens-mães-estudantes no Curso de Pedagogia: narrativas, adversidades e enfretamentos

Abstract

This research aims to understand how young student mothers in higher education remain enrolled in the Pedagogy program at the Center for Education (CEDU) of the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL). The central research question is: what are the main limit-situations faced by young student mothers in UFAL's Pedagogy course, and what strategies do they use to overcome these challenges and remain in the program? The specific objectives are: to conduct a bibliographic review of studies in the field (2020–2023) to identify the main issues related to young student mothers in Pedagogy programs; to analyze the narratives of three student mothers enrolled between the fifth and ninth semesters of the Pedagogy course at a public university in northeastern Brazil regarding the limit-situations encountered during their academic journeys; and to identify and systematize proposals made by these mothers that may contribute to the academic persistence of other students in similar situations. Grounded in the perspective of gender as a power relation and youth as a socially constructed category, this study recognizes the complexity of these women's experiences, understanding them as unique and transformative processes of formation. The methodology combines a literature review, focusing on recent publications (2020–2023) about motherhood in the university context, and biographical research in education, based on narrative interviews with three young student mothers. The study addresses topics such as the social construction of gender, the feminization of the Pedagogy field, the limit-situations of motherhood, and student retention policies. The results show that these students face significant material and symbolic barriers, such as the lack of daycare centers with compatible schedules, the absence of formal curricular flexibility, limited awareness of available financial aid, and experiences of academic discrimination. To cope with these challenges, they develop strategies such as temporal reorganization (studying at night), activating informal support networks, adapting the curricular flow, and reframing motherhood as a source of motivation. The research highlights the urgent need for specific institutional policies, including the expansion of daycare services, effective dissemination of existing financial aid, the creation of welcoming spaces, and the sensitization of the academic community regarding the specificities of the maternal condition. This study contributes to the debate on the democratization of higher education, offering insights for developing strategies that can transform the individual efforts of these women into effective inclusion policies, fostering a more equitable university environment.