Aprendizagem baseada em projetos envolvendo problemas de saúde na infância em um curso de medicina

Abstract

This master’s research was developed in the Postgraduate Program in Education at the University of Western São Paulo (Unoeste), in research line 2: Teacher training and action and educational practices. The problem that instigated the research was: How can the Project-Based Learning methodology help in understanding the main public health problems in childhood? From this question emerged the general objective of analyzing the development process of the Project-Based Learning methodology in understanding public health content in childhood, with eighth-semester students in a medical course. The approach adopted was qualitative, of the intervention type. The research was developed in the medical course of a private university in the interior of the state of São Paulo, with the participation of 32 students enrolled in the eighth semester of Medicine, in the subject “Comprehensive Child Health Care”. The intervention was carried out following the steps of the methodology with the aid of the BeActive tool. For data collection, the Project-Based Learning process was observed, in addition to document analysis of the records made on BeActive, as well as a focus group. Based on the triangulation of the collected data, the raw data was read and analyzed. This analysis focused on identifying thematic axes that emerged from the records on the BeActive platform, from observation, and from considerations made in the focus group, namely: understanding the main public health problems in childhood; collaborative work as a formative principle in Project-Based Learning; facilitating and challenging aspects in the development of Project-Based Learning. The main results demonstrated that this active methodology was able to promote engagement and joint learning, culminating in the development of prototypes involving contributions to society, of actions that can be taken for the prevention and treatment of childhood health problems, with emphasis on pneumonia. Throughout the steps of the methodology, collaboration and mutual involvement were evident, with the formation of teams and the participation of all members. The students were able to organize themselves to actively search for the main childhood health problems using the designated research sources. Throughout the work, they encountered facilitating aspects such as the BeActive platform, which provided direction and organization to the study, in addition to making learning more interesting and promoting greater engagement in studies, which was the proposal of the methodology. Clearly, there was acquisition of socio-affective skills, both technical and cognitive, that are important for future professional practice. These skills became evident throughout the different stages of the intervention.