RESEARCH GROUP AS A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: A COLLABORATIVE STUDY WITH MEMBERS OF THE GEPEME-UFPA GROUP, ABAETETUBA CAMPUS

Abstract

The objective of this article was to analyze the contributions of the GEPEME Study and Research Group as a space for study, research, academic production, and personal and intellectual development, as well as its impact on the academic and scientific training of its participants. The research adopted a qualitative, case study approach, using interviews with seven group members as a data collection instrument. The guiding question was: how do the contributions of GEPEME as a space for study, research, academic production, and personal and intellectual development manifest themselves, based on the voices of the participants? The results indicate that, since its formation, the group has contributed to the development of undergraduate and graduate students, and basic education teachers, in the development of knowledge about scientific research, in addition to fostering the recognition and appreciation of identity, transforming empirical experiences into critical, reflective, and autonomous learning. These impacts are evidenced by the development of research-related skills, both in the mastery of specific techniques (collection, analysis, writing, and tabulation) and in broader competencies, such as collaborative work, time management, and theoretical maturity. This learning is embodied in the participants' various publications—books, scientific articles, and papers presented at regional, national, and international events—and in their admission to lato sensu and stricto sensu graduate programs, such as specializations, master's, and doctoral programs.