The profile of incoming students in the integrated technical courses at the Porto Nacional Campus of IFTO

Abstract

This article aims to understand the profile of incoming students in the first-year classes of technical courses at the Porto Nacional Campus of the Federal Institute of Tocantins (IFTO). To this end, a mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) methodology was adopted, as proposed by Creswell and Clark (2013), involving 99 students enrolled in integrated technical high school courses in Environment, Administration, and Internet Computing. Semi-structured questionnaires and interviews were used as data collection instruments. The theoretical framework was supported by authors such as Juarez Dayrell, who studies youth in contexts of social vulnerability; Bernard Charlot, who investigates students’ relationships with knowledge and school in popular contexts; Gaudêncio Frigotto, who addresses professional and technological education within capitalist social relations and Cipriano Luckesi, an expert in educational assessment. This study aims to contribute to understanding the profile of incoming students, supporting pedagogical interventions and institutional policies. It also suggests that future research should deepen investigations into course choice decisions, motivations for studying at IFTO, and subjects with higher or lower difficulties, aiming to improve student retention and academic success.