Learning to be a university pedagogical advisor: a narrative study of the experience

um estudo narrativo da experiência

Abstract

Through an autobiographical narrative investigation, the text presents the composite meanings of a pedagogical advisor's experiences in a Brazilian federal university. The main objective of the study, in line with the principles of narrative research, is to understand the construction of individual identity and, at the same time, reflect on the position of pedagogical advice in the university context. A set of stories from the experiences constituted the investigation data, and the metaphor of three-dimensional space mediated the interpretation. The composite meanings are represented by two thematic threads, whose structuring are the concepts of experiential learning, identity and formation. Among the findings emerging from the research, the following stand out: the lack of definition about the configuration and place of pedagogical advisors at the university; the role of the advisor for the qualification of follow-up and systematization of training actions; the relevance of advisory services and their professionals for the implementation of an institutional culture of decentralized training; the challenging context faced by the pedagogue, an administrative staff in education, often lacking the legitimacy to exercise his role; and also the identity implications of the negotiation process between individual and institutional narratives. Finally, the demand for more studies on the subject, still nascent in Brazil, is reiterated based on these professionals' voices.