Overview and Critical Analysis of Literacy Data in Brazil

Andressa Mello Tito; Adriessa Santos

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202602665

Article derived from a Course Conclusion Work (TCC), with content based on the student’s original work and adapted to the editorial format of the E&S Magazine with the support of the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by Instituto Pecege for textual synthesis and organization.

Summary

Literacy is a fundamental skill for educational and social development. The study aimed to critically analyze the literacy data from the 2019, 2021, and 2023 editions of the Basic Education Assessment System (SAEB). Documentary research with a quali-quantitative approach was used to analyze proficiency data in Portuguese Language, participation rates, and regional distribution, comparing them over time and interpreting them in their contexts. The metadata provided by INEP was also analyzed. It was found that the data for in-depth conclusions were incipient, although INEP’s reports showed greater statistical robustness over the years. A drop in Portuguese Language proficiency rates was observed in 2021, attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by growth in the subsequent two years. It was concluded that the rate of non-literate individuals remained alarming, exceeding 40% in several Federative Units in 2023, which highlighted the need for continuous investment to reduce illiteracy in the country.

Keywords: Literacy; Illiteracy; Pandemic; Proficiency; SAEB.

1. Introduction

Reading and writing are essential skills in the educational process, fundamental for school success and transversal to various disciplines. In Brazil, the terminology ‘alfabetização’ (literacy acquisition) faced some rejection from the 1980s onwards, associated with the systematization of teaching and traditionalism (Soares, 2004). In contrast, the term ‘letramento’ (literacy) gained prominence, linked to socioconstructivism, which conceives the learning of reading and writing as part of a contextual, unsystematic, subjective, and social relationship. Although there is a conceptual antagonism, national academic research frequently overlaps them, treating them as synonyms, which poses a challenge in thematic delimitation.

In this context, the present research adopts the definition of literacy proposed by Magda Soares (2004), which understands it as the individual’s ability to master the process of acquisition and appropriation of the alphabetic and orthographic writing system. Contributing to this perspective, Linnea Ehri (2013) argues that this skill develops in four phases: pre-alphabetic, partial alphabetic, complete alphabetic, and consolidated alphabetic. These stages refer to the types of knowledge about grapheme-phoneme correspondence, that is, the relationship between letters and sounds for word formation and their storage in memory. Both authors emphasize literacy as a gradual and progressive process, which demands systematic teaching of skills such as phonological awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and reading fluency.

The relevance of reading is further highlighted by Pires and Mota (2021), who consider it essential for the individual’s full participation in society, especially in the school and academic spheres. Deficits in literacy learning can persist throughout life if not overcome. Additionally, Perfetti (2007) argues that automated word recognition is crucial, as it reduces the cognitive load of decoding, allowing the student to direct their resources towards higher and more complex cognitive processes, such as inference, semantic integration, and textual comprehension.

Given the great relevance of literacy, the National Institute for Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep) developed the Basic Education Assessment System (SAEB). This system aims to biennially assess the reading proficiency of students in the second year of Elementary School. It is important to note that the measurement is not based on a simple count of literate versus illiterate students. Instead, standardized Portuguese Language assessments are conducted that analyze letter and word recognition, grapheme-phoneme relationship, word and sentence reading, and comprehension of short texts. Performance is interpreted through a continuous scale that indicates the quality of what the assessed individual can read, i.e., their proficiency level.

The centrality of literacy in the individual’s social, cognitive, and educational development justifies the urgency of this study, which seeks to contribute to the understanding of the Brazilian educational landscape. In line with this demand, the present work aimed to critically analyze literacy data from the SAEB editions of 2019, 2021, and 2023, seeking to understand its results, limitations, and possible implications for the Brazilian educational scenario.

2. Material and Methods

The present study was designed as a documentary research, characterized by the analysis of materials that have not received prior analytical or critical treatment (Gil, 1989). A quali-quantitative approach was adopted, seeking to integrate different perspectives for the understanding and expansion of the investigated issues (Creswell and Clark, 2007). This methodology allowed for the exploration of the richness of the available data, providing a solid foundation for the proposed investigation.

The choice for documentary research was justified by the nature of the data to be examined, which consisted of public records and reports not yet subjected to in-depth analysis in the context of this study. As Marconi and Lacatos (2003) point out, this technique is fundamental for scientific research, as it allows direct access to the field of interest and avoids the redundancy of publications, optimizing investigation time.

The unit of analysis consisted of literacy data made available by the National Institute for Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep), specifically those from the 2019, 2021, and 2023 editions of the Basic Education Assessment System (SAEB). These data were the central empirical object for the proposed critical analysis, covering a relevant period for observing trends and variations.

For data collection, information was extracted regarding the number of enrollments, literacy indicators, Portuguese language proficiency, participation rates, and the regional distribution of results. These elements were selected for their direct relevance to the objective of analyzing the literacy scenario in Brazil, as measured by SAEB.

The procedures for data collection and organization involved the systematic compilation of Inep’s public reports and databases for the years 2019, 2021, and 2023. A temporal comparison of this data was carried out to identify variations and patterns over the studied period, without, however, anticipating any empirical findings.

Additionally, the metadata provided by Inep was analyzed. This stage aimed to understand the structure and organization of the databases used. It included identifying variables and their definitions over the years, checking for changes in data categorization, and evaluating the reliability and consistency of the information provided.

The data analysis technique employed a qualitative-quantitative approach, allowing for the interpretation of collected data within their respective historical, political, and economic contexts. The data were recorded and discussed through comparisons between the selected years, seeking a multifaceted understanding of the information without presenting results or conclusions.

Regarding ethical considerations, the study was exempted from approval by a Research Ethics Committee on Human Beings. This exemption occurred because it is a research based exclusively on public domain data, without any direct interaction with human beings or risk associated with participants, ensuring compliance with applicable ethical guidelines.

3. Results and Discussion

The analysis of data from the Basic Education Assessment System (SAEB) between 2019 and 2023 revealed a dynamic panorama of literacy in Brazil, with significant variations in Portuguese Language proficiency and in the robustness of the reports released. The study, based on documentary research with a quali-quantitative approach, sought to understand the results, limitations, and implications of these findings for the educational scenario, as established in the objective. The data were interpreted in their historical, political, and economic contexts, allowing for a critical view of the trends and challenges faced in the country’s literacy process.

In 2019, SAEB established specific criteria for the participation of educational institutions, requiring a minimum of ten students enrolled in the second year of elementary school in regular classes, excluding special, multi-grade, or Youth and Adult Education (EJA) classes. This methodological delimitation aimed to ensure the comparability of results and the relevance of the collected data. In that edition, two thousand seven hundred and ninety-five institutions, three thousand five hundred and eighty-five classes, and a total of eighty-four thousand two hundred and seventy-three students were evaluated, reflecting a considerable scope of the assessment.

The 2019 assessment focused on three essential domain areas for literacy: the appropriation of the alphabetic writing system, reading, and text production. Student performance was categorized into eight proficiency levels, each with a 25-point range, where level one indicated the worst performance and level eight the best. It was observed that the state of Amapá registered the lowest average proficiency, with 712.74 points, placing it at level three, while Ceará achieved the best classification, with 765.50 points, corresponding to level five. These initial results, although not providing direct data on the literacy rate, indicated the quality of reading of those assessed through Item Response Theory (IRT), which relates the probability of a correct answer to a specific skill previously defined in the Reference Matrix.

The 2021 edition of SAEB, held after two years, demonstrated an evolution in the presentation of reports, with greater statistical robustness and the inclusion of more detailed data. Unlike in 2019, the 2021 reports began to include not only proficiency scores by Federative Unit, but also information on the predicted and actual participation of classes, schools, and students. This improvement in transparency and the quantity of metadata made available by the National Institute for Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep) allowed for a more in-depth analysis of the scope and representativeness of the evaluation at the national level.

Participation data from the 2021 assessment revealed that, of the students expected, 62.50% actually participated. Regarding classes, 82.80% of those expected had participation, and 85.10% of the schools expected also participated in the census. This discrepancy between the number of students expected and those who actually took the test suggests challenges in mobilizing and ensuring student presence, a factor that may influence the representativeness of the results. The analysis of this participation data is crucial for contextualizing proficiency scores and identifying possible biases in the evaluated sample, according to the qualitative-quantitative methodology employed.

One of the most impactful findings of 2021 was the decrease in average Portuguese Language proficiency, which fell from 750.0 points in 2019 to 725.9 points. This significant drop was widely attributed to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in social isolation and the suspension of in-person classes in 2020. The transition to remote learning posed a significant challenge for children in the literacy phase, as pointed out by Cabral et al. (2024), and was identified as one of the main factors for the deficits in reading and writing observed in this age group. The interruption of systematic instruction in skills such as phonological awareness and reading fluency, advocated by Ehri (2013) and Soares (2004), had a direct impact on the acquisition of these competencies.

The 2023 edition of SAEB brought an even more expressive amount of data, with an exclusive report on proficiency that demonstrated continuous improvements in collection and analysis. For this edition, Inep established a cutoff score of 743 points, below which the student would not be considered literate. When comparing Amapá’s performance in 2019, which was 712.74 points, with this new 2023 cutoff score, it is observed that the state would be below expectations, indicating literacy levels lower than those considered adequate by the most recent criterion. This comparison highlights the importance of a clear criterion for literacy assessment, which allows for measuring the progress or stagnation of the federative units.

The 2023 results also showed a recovery trend in literacy rates, with the national average proficiency reaching 747.6 points, surpassing the 2021 performance and approaching pre-pandemic 2019 levels. This recovery suggests that the educational measures implemented after the most critical period of the pandemic began to take effect, although the magnitude of COVID-19’s impact in 2021 is still noticeable in the data trajectory. Comparative graphs between 2019, 2021, and 2023 clearly illustrated this dynamic of decline and subsequent growth, highlighting the anomaly of the year 2021 in the literacy landscape.

The analysis of the literacy rate by Federative Unit between 2021 and 2023 revealed significant advances in several regions. Rondônia, for example, registered an increase of 24.4 percentage points, going from 31.5% to 56.0%. Ceará showed a growth of 24.0 percentage points, from 45.8% to 69.8%. Mato Grosso had an increase of 25.3 percentage points, from 29.7% to 55.0%, and Rio Grande do Sul grew 23.5 percentage points, from 42.0% to 65.5%. This data indicates that, in a large part of the national territory, there was a concentrated effort to reverse the educational deficits caused by the pandemic, reflecting progress in reading and writing proficiency.

However, the analysis also revealed that, despite the general recovery, the illiteracy rate remained alarming in several Federative Units in 2023, exceeding 40%. Furthermore, the state of Pará showed a reduction of 4.6 percentage points in the literacy rate, falling from 39.9% in 2021 to 35.2% in 2023, which represents an exception to the growth trend observed in most states. This specific data from Pará signals the persistence of localized challenges and the need for more in-depth investigations into the factors that may be hindering literacy progress in certain regions, even in a scenario of national recovery.

In summary, the critical analysis of the SAEB data from 2019, 2021, and 2023 demonstrated an evolution in the robustness of the reports and in the measurement of proficiency in Portuguese Language. The drop in scores in 2021, attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, was followed by a notable recovery in subsequent years, evidencing the resilience of the educational system and the efforts to mitigate the impacts. However, the persistence of high rates of non-literacy in several Federative Units in 2023, and the decline in states like Pará, underscore the continuous need for investments and effective public policies to ensure full literacy in the country, a fundamental objective for the social and cognitive development of individuals, as emphasized by Pires and Mota (2021).

4. Conclusion

The present study aimed to critically analyze the literacy data from the 2019, 2021, and 2023 editions of the Basic Education Evaluation System (SAEB), seeking to understand its results, limitations, and implications for the Brazilian educational landscape. It was found that INEP’s reports showed an evolution in statistical robustness and metadata detail over the years, allowing for a more in-depth analysis. A significant drop in average proficiency in Portuguese Language was observed in 2021, widely attributed to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to remote learning, which posed significant challenges to literacy. However, in the two subsequent years, a recovery trend was identified, with national average proficiency surpassing 2021 levels and approaching pre-pandemic 2019 benchmarks. Despite this general recovery, it was noted that the rate of non-literate individuals remained alarming in several Federative Units in 2023, exceeding forty percent, and in states like Pará, there was a decline in the literacy rate.

The main contribution of this work lies in the critical and contextualized analysis of the trajectory of literacy in Brazil, highlighting the resilience of the educational system in the face of crises such as the pandemic, but also the persistence of significant gaps. The temporal delimitation of the research, restricted to data from three editions of SAEB, constituted a limitation for more in-depth conclusions about long-term trends. However, the findings emphasize the continuous need for investments and public policies aimed at teaching the Portuguese Language throughout the national territory. It is suggested that future studies investigate the specific factors that hinder the progress of literacy in regions with persistently low or declining rates, as observed in Pará, in order to support more effective and personalized interventions.

Bibliographic References

Cabral, P. P. A.; Pires, L. S. L.; Isobe, R. M. R.; Rezende, V. M.; Costa, A. A. S. 2024. Impactos da Pandemia na Alfabetização. Cadernos da Fucamp, 35: 35 – 49.

Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. 2007. Designing and conducting mixed methods research.

EHRI, Linnea C. 2013. Aquisição da habilidade de leitura de palavras e sua influência na pronúncia e na aprendizagem do vocabulário. In: MALUF, Maria Regina; CARDOSO-MARTINS, Cláudia (org.). Alfabetização no século XXI: como se aprende a ler e a escrever. Porto Alegre: Penso, 2013. p. 49-81.

Gil, A. C.2019. Métodos e técnicas de pesquisa social. 7ª ed. GEN Atlas. São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Lakatos, E. M.; Marconi, M. A. 2003. Fundamentos de Metodologia Científica. 5 ª ed. Atlas. São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Perfetti, C. A. 2007. Reading ability: Lexical quality to comprehension. Scientific Studies of Reading, 11(4), 357–383

Pires, M. A. B.; Mota, M. M. P. E. 2021. Compreensão e Leitura no Ensino Médio e Desempenho Acadêmico em Diferentes Matérias Escolares. Estudos e Pesquisas em Psicologia, 21 (2): 572-589.

Soares, M. 2004. Letramento e Alfabetização: as muitas facetas. Revista Brasileira de Educação, 25: 5 – 17.

Article originating from a Final Coursework on Neuroscience and Learning in Education

To learn more about the course, click here and access the MBX Academy platform