Cosmopercepções sobre interação, aprendizagem e ensinagem de estudantes indígenas na UFCAT

Abstract

This thesis investigates the challenges faced by Indigenous students at the Federal University of Catalão (UFCAT). The study was based on the premise that, despite advances in affirmative action policies, Indigenous inclusion in universities is still limited by linguistic, epistemological, and structural barriers. The hypothesis of this thesis is that linguistic and institutional policies should contribute to the retention and improvement of relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students at the university, facilitating Indigenous students' learning. The main objective of the study was to understand the learning and communication processes of Indigenous students with non-Indigenous students and professors in UFCAT's undergraduate programs, in order to foster academic and pedagogical policies that value the presence of Indigenous students at the university as knowledge producers. Specifically, we aimed to reflect on existing policies and the rights guaranteed to Indigenous peoples; understand and analyze the development of communication, learning, and teaching processes of Indigenous students with non-Indigenous students and professors in UFCAT's undergraduate courses; and question whether UFCAT’s teaching and learning activities impact the retention and/or dropout rates of Indigenous students. To achieve this, qualitative methodologies were employed, including conversation circles with Indigenous students and questionnaires administered to non-Indigenous students and professors. The theoretical framework was based on concepts of the coloniality of knowledge (Quijano, 2005; Santos & Meneses, 2010), critical applied linguistics (Moita Lopes, 2006), and Indigenous epistemology (Baniwa, 2019; Krenak, 2019). The research revealed that Indigenous students experience a context of academic exclusion that goes beyond linguistic difficulties, encompassing the devaluation of their traditional knowledge and the lack of institutional policies that promote interculturality. The conversation circles showed that many Indigenous students feel they must constantly prove their academic competence and that their ways of knowing are often disregarded. In contrast, data collected from non-Indigenous students and professors indicated a limited perception of these challenges, often reducing Indigenous inclusion to a matter of individual adaptation, without considering the structural barriers within the university. Given this reality, it was possible to outline strategies to make UFCAT a more inclusive and intercultural environment. Suggested measures include the creation of an Indigenous Studies Center, the implementation of linguistic policies that allow academic production in Indigenous languages, teacher training for intercultural education, and the integration of Indigenous knowledge into undergraduate curricula. Additionally, an academic and emotional support program for Indigenous students is recommended to ensure their retention and success at the university. The findings of this research contribute to the field of Indigenous education and higher education inclusion policies, demonstrating that Indigenous presence in universities should not be limited to access through affirmative action but should include structural transformations that enable the appreciation of Indigenous cultures and epistemologies. The study reinforces the need for intercultural education that engages with Indigenous realities and breaks with colonial thinking in educational institutions. In this way, UFCAT and other universities can become true spaces of knowledge exchange, where Indigenous students not only learn but also teach, consolidating a decolonial perspective in Brazilian higher education.