The general goal of the project Educação de Jovens e Adultos: insumos, processos e resultados (Youth and Adult Education: inputs, processes and results) is to develop and give visibility to evaluative studies addressing relevant problems of Youth and Adult Education (EJA) in Brazil, in order to provide educators and managers with consistent evidence of how to assert the educational rights of young people and adults through effective pedagogical policies and practices. Such objective is fulfilled through the constitution of a Research Center, which articulates research activities, publications’ review, organization, availability and communication of research results to educators, policy managers and the general audience.
The broader purpose of this proposal is to foster an evaluation culture in the field of EJA, adopting a broad concept of evaluation focused not only on results but also on the inputs and processes to which the best results may be associated.
For the Research Center, inputs are understood as the financial, human, technological resources, facilities and pedagogical materials, etc. The processes regard arrangements for systems management (including collaboration among government spheres), as well as management of teaching units and classrooms (pedagogical practices). Finally, as results, both cognitive learning – measurable by tests – and changes in attitudes, cultural practices and socioeconomic insertion – verified by means of structured interviews or secondary data treatment (economic indicators, demographic statistics, etc.).
Within the scope of the project, four studies were developed that corresponded to the established goals:
Goal 1 – The Exame Nacional de Certificação de Competências de Jovens e Adultos (ENCCEJA) (National Examination for Certificating Young People and Adult Skills): its impacts on EJA policies and the educational trajectories of young people and adults.
Goal 2 – The Projovem Urbano (Urban Projovem): its impacts on EJA and Youth policies and on the educational trajectory of young people
Goal 3 – The impact of the inclusion of EJA in Fundo de Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica (FUNDEB) (Basic Education Development Fund) – in the State of São Paulo
Goal 4 – Schooling and basic skills: analysis of their social, cultural and economic impacts in the perspective of gender and race inequalities (INAF databases – National Indicator of Functional Literacy and School Census).