Gestão das políticas institucionais nos planos estratégicos de permanência e êxito de estudantes nos institutos federais

Abstract

This doctoral dissertation is part of the research line Policies and Management of Education of the Graduate Program in Education at the Federal University of Grande Dourados (PPGEdu/UFGD). The research sought to understand the management of institutional policies, with emphasis on the Institutional Strategic Plans for Student Retention and Success in the Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology (IFs), by analyzing the implications of Ruling nº 506/2013 of the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU). The research problem consisted of identifying the origins and nature of the institutional management policies present in the Institutional Plans for Student Retention and Success. To address this research question, the plans of 05 (five) IFs, representing all regions of Brazil, were analyzed in an effort to highlight the strategies adopted and assess the level of institutionalization, considering the planning of pedagogical actions, organizational structure, and financial and budgetary constraints of the plans. In order to map the scientific production on school dropout within the IFs, the study by Sousa and Real (2022) was used, which revealed a scarcity of research on the topic. The methodology adopted was qualitative, based on document analysis and theoretical foundation in Palumbo (1989) for public policy, Azevedo (1997) for educational policy, Cellard (2008) for document analysis, Frigotto (2018) for conceptions of Professional and Technological Education, in addition to Kezar (2007) and Kezar and Sam (2013) for policy institutionalization processes. The analysis followed a guide composed of categories and subcategories that allowed for the examination of common aspects in the structure of the documents, linking interpretation to the guiding questions: which themes were prioritized in the retention and success plans; which dimensions received greater emphasis; whether there was a budgetary provision for investments; and which institutional bodies and teams were involved in the planned actions. The results indicated that student retention and success policies in the IFs are externally motivated actions, not yet institutionalized, and lack support in their own organizational and budgetary structures. It was also observed that, although the documents present proposals aimed at promoting student retention and success, not all IFs fully followed the recommendations of the TCU and Setec in preparing the plans. It is concluded that it is necessary to expand dialogue among oversight bodies, administrators, and professional and technological education institutions, considering the specificities of the IFs, in order to seek concrete solutions to dropout. The policies for student retention and success depend on external factors and have not yet been incorporated into the internal dynamics of the institutions. The results of this research contribute to the theoretical field, considering the lack of studies on the topic, and, on a practical level, support the improvement of student retention and success policies of the IFs, providing a broader understanding of their institutionalization. This deeper understanding may support the (re)definition of public and institutional policies, as well as guide the redirection of measures and actions aimed at optimizing management processes in the Federal Institutes.