Article

Luana Marianni Hercolin; Sheila Cristina Da Silva Victório

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202602259

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

Abstract

A study analyzed the impact of the “II Leonor Fair: Inclusion Fair” as a pedagogical strategy to promote empathy and combat ableism in a public municipal school in Campinas, involving students from the 6th to 9th grade. The methodology, of an applied nature, was characterized as a case study with a qualitative and quantitative approach. Data collection involved documentary analysis of the fair’s activity guide, photographic records of the experiences, and the application of structured questionnaires via Google Forms for the management team, teachers, and staff of the institution. The results revealed high student engagement and protagonism, with over 80% positive perception from participants regarding the effectiveness of playful activities in raising awareness about diversity. However, they highlighted challenges in transferring learning to daily school life, as most teachers reported only partial application of inclusion values in students’ daily attitudes. It was concluded that, although the fair was an effective catalyst for empathy and welcoming, consolidating an anti-ableist culture requires continuous integration of these discussions into the school curriculum, overcoming the punctual nature of interventions.

Keywords: Ableism; Inclusive Education; School Fair; Active Methodologies; Student Protagonism.

1. Introduction

The pursuit of an inclusive and equitable society finds its main foundation in education. In this context, inclusive education is understood not just as a teaching modality, but as a perspective that aims to guarantee the right of all students to learn together, without exception. This implies respect for the individual limits, capacities, and contexts of each student. Mantoan (2003) emphasizes that inclusive education demands a radical and complete school insertion, requiring the restructuring of the educational system to welcome the needs of all and value diversity.

In Brazil, this right is guaranteed by important legal frameworks, such as the Law of Directives and Bases of National Education (Law No. 9,394/1996) and, more specifically, by the Brazilian Law of Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (Law No. 13,146/2015), which establishes an inclusive educational system at all levels. Additionally, the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) reinforces the need for pedagogical practices that promote respect for diversity and ensure equity, recognizing the importance of a flexible curriculum that considers the individual capacity of each student. The school, as one of the first and most significant spaces for socialization, plays a crucial role in forming conscious citizens prepared for coexistence in a pluralistic society.

Despite the legal framework and the importance of school, inclusion and respect for diversity in daily school life still face challenges. The mere coexistence of students with and without disabilities in the same environment does not ensure effective inclusion, as many students are inserted into a culture that perpetuates exclusion and prejudice, bringing with them preconceptions external to the school environment. This problem is accentuated in the final years of Elementary School, a period that encompasses pre-adolescence and early adolescence, phases of intense development of social skills and value formation. It is at this stage that the perception of differences can shape attitudes of respect or discrimination, depending on the context experienced by the student.

Given this scenario, the central question of this research emerges: in what way can a pedagogical intervention, based on playful and collaborative activities, promote awareness of diversity, respect, equity, and empathy among students from the 6th to 9th grade of a public school?

To promote effective awareness among students, it is essential to seek strategies that engage them actively and meaningfully. Active methodologies, which position the student as the protagonist of their own learning process, stand out as promising tools. Moran (2015) argues that the fundamental transformation in current education involves the transition from a teaching-focused model to a learning-centered model, where students progress at their own pace, through group activities and more personalized approaches. Among these approaches, the use of playful activities, such as games and play, proves particularly effective, as it makes learning more enjoyable and stimulating, fostering curiosity, creativity, and group problem-solving skills, in addition to strengthening socialization and teamwork.

Education that employs active methodologies establishes a dialogue with Vygotsky’s theory (1998), which points to social interaction as an essential driver for learning and development. For the author, knowledge is constructed through collaboration with peers and teacher mediation. In this context, the school scavenger hunt emerges as a valuable pedagogical tool, as it stimulates teamwork and cooperation among students with different abilities. By uniting students with diverse skills for a common goal, the scavenger hunt has the potential to create a collective “zone of proximal development,” promoting inclusion, empathy, and respect for differences.

Thus, this study aims to analyze a practical experience, the “Inclusion Gincana”, promoted in a municipal public school in Campinas, seeking to understand its impact among students, teachers, and the school unit’s management, and to generate knowledge that can inspire and guide other pedagogical initiatives aimed at building a truly inclusive education.

2. Material and Methods

This project was characterized as a case study of an applied nature, with a qualitative and quantitative research approach, according to Gil (2017) and Marconi and Lakatos (2002;2017). The qualitative dimension focused on the analysis of the scavenger hunt activities and the interpretation of participants’ perceptions, while the quantitative dimension involved the analysis of questionnaire data to measure the project’s perceived effectiveness.

The research was conducted in a municipal public elementary school, located in the eastern region of Campinas, in the interior of the state of São Paulo. The scavenger hunt, which served as the basis for the study, was developed with students from the 6th to 9th grade in the afternoon shift. The research participants included the teaching staff (17 teachers from various disciplines, including special education), the management team (principal, vice-principal, and pedagogical advisor), and school staff (administrative assistant, cooks, and caregivers for special education students [AEE]).

Data collection utilized documentary research, covering documents generated before and after the scavenger hunt (such as the activity schedule and materials developed by students), observation of audiovisual records (photographs and videos of the scavenger hunt), and a field survey. This survey was approved by the PECEGE Research Ethics Committee [CAAE: 95184625.2.0000.9927] and used structured questionnaires administered via the “Google Forms” platform. The questionnaires (Appendix 1) were directed at teachers, the management team, and school staff. For teachers and management, the form was sent via institutional email, and for staff, via personal email or WhatsApp. The responses were anonymous and included objective and essay questions.

3. Results and Discussion

Engagement and Active Participation

The research obtained 14 responses from professionals involved in the scavenger hunt, seven from faculty, five from staff, and two from the management team. The collected data revealed a positive perception of student engagement. It was observed that 85.7% of faculty and 80% of staff perceived that most students actively participated in the activities proposed during the scavenger hunt. This high participation rate suggests the effectiveness of gamification and active methodologies as teaching strategies. According to Moran (2015), student protagonism in the learning process significantly increases interest and commitment to the task. Qualitative reports highlighted “student happiness” and “peer cheering,” indicating that the playful nature of the scavenger hunt mobilized both cognitive effort and emotional engagement of the students.

Active participation was manifested in various activities, such as the concentration required in sensory games like Goalball and Guide Running, and creativity in making flags and researching personalities. This diversity of stimuli aligns with Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Theory, which postulates the construction of knowledge through experience and reflection. By experiencing the challenges of inclusion in practice, students demonstrated an involvement that, according to the teachers, “transcends the school walls”, broadening their knowledge on the subject.

Despite the general success, 14.3% of teachers and 20% of staff still noticed limitations in engagement or could not answer, indicating the need for personalized strategies for students with greater resistance to collective activities. The points for improvement suggested that the challenge is to ensure that engagement extends beyond the “scavenger hunt moment,” transforming into a lasting change of attitude in daily school life.

Perception of Special Education Students

The inclusion of students with special educational needs (SEN) was a central objective of the research. The data revealed a complex perception: 42.9% of teachers and 60% of staff considered that SEN were fully included and actively participated. However, a significant portion of 57.1% of teachers and 40% of staff assessed that the inclusion was only partial, with some students on the margins of certain dynamics.

This divergence of perceptions points to the challenges of inclusive education. Mantoan (2015) highlights that inclusion goes beyond physical presence, requiring the removal of attitudinal, pedagogical, and communication barriers. The perception of partial inclusion by more than half of the teachers suggests that, although the scavenger hunt was an important step, there are still structural and planning challenges to ensure the accessibility of all activities to all students.

Empathic experience activities, such as Sitting Volleyball and Goalball, were highlighted as moments of “inclusion in a playful way”, allowing students without disabilities to “put themselves in the shoes of people with disabilities to truly feel what people feel”. This “experience to understand” strategy aligns with Dewey’s (1979) Experiential Learning Theory, which emphasizes the importance of direct experience in forming new concepts and attitudes. By leveling the participants through adapted rules, the scavenger hunt promoted a perception of equity, even if temporary.

An interesting result was that 57.1% of teachers and 60% of staff noticed that, after the scavenger hunt, special education students were better welcomed and included among their peers. This data suggests that the intervention sensitized the school community and encouraged new friendships. However, the observation that 28.6% of teachers noticed changes only for a short period after the scavenger hunt reinforces the importance of continuous practices to consolidate an inclusive culture, preventing it from being limited to isolated events. Furthermore, some staff did not observe changes in the inclusion of AEE (Special Educational Needs) by their peers, indicating that the topic must be continuously addressed.

The results indicate that the scavenger hunt was a catalyst for empathy and welcoming, but also highlighted the need for greater attention to the accessibility of pedagogical proposals. The partial inclusion reported by teachers serves as an indicator for the improvement of future editions of the project, aiming at the total elimination of participation barriers.

Institutional Alignment and Impact on the School Community

The Inclusion Challenge demonstrated alignment with the school’s institutional guidelines. Data collected from the management team revealed that 100% of respondents affirmed that the project is in total agreement with the school’s Political-Pedagogical Project (PPP). This data is fundamental, as it indicates that diversity is treated as an integral part of the institution’s educational mission, rather than an isolated event.

The unit management also highlighted the project’s social spillover potential, with 100% agreement that the scavenger hunt positively impacts families and the external community. This perception validates the importance of school projects that address relevant social issues, transforming students into multipliers of knowledge within their family circles. One of the managers pointed out that the scavenger hunt “brought a lot of information, thus contributing to the reduction of prejudice”.

Challenges, limitations, and the fight against ableism

One of the research objectives was to observe the decrease in ableist attitudes. The results indicate cautious progress: 57.1% of teachers and 50% of management noticed a partial decrease in ableist comments and attitudes after the project. It is interesting to note that 100% of management stated that there were no significant number of serious incidents before the scavenger hunt, which suggests that the work acted more in the sphere of awareness, prevention, and sensitization than in conflict resolution.

However, the biggest challenge identified lies in the continuity of learning. Although the scavenger hunt was a success in terms of momentary engagement, 71.4% of teachers feel that the application of this learning in daily life occurs only partially. This data dialogues with the management’s own criticism about the timing of the project (last week before the holidays, with cold weather), which may have hindered the immediate consolidation of new behaviors in the school routine.

A critical point highlighted by educators is the difficulty students have in realizing that what was taught about inclusion and ableism should be applied to their own attitudes and daily interactions with colleagues. It was observed that, for a portion of the students, the playful nature of the scavenger hunt was interpreted strictly within the logic of competition, which at times overshadowed the necessary reflection on individual behavior in the face of diversity.

The points for improvement suggested by the professors, such as the need to “avoid practices being limited only to the moment of the scavenger hunt” and the “lack of time in the curriculum,” reinforce the thesis that inclusive education must be a continuous process. As discussed by Mantoan (2015), inclusion requires a profound cultural change. The scavenger hunt fulfilled its role as a “trigger” for reflections and emotions, but the data indicate that the next step should be the systematic integration of these playful and informative dynamics throughout the entire school year, ensuring that the empathy exercised on the court translates into constant respect in the hallways and classrooms.

4. Conclusion

This study sought to analyze the impact of the “II Leonor Fair: Inclusion Fair” as a pedagogical strategy to promote empathy and combat ableism in a public municipal school in Campinas, involving students from the 6th to 9th grade. High student engagement and protagonism were observed, with most participants perceiving the effectiveness of playful activities in raising awareness about diversity. Empathic experiences, such as Sitting Volleyball and Goalball, were highlighted as crucial moments for students to understand the challenges of inclusion in practice. It was observed that the fair acted as an effective catalyst for empathy and acceptance, encouraging new friendships and promoting a partial reduction in ableist attitudes. The initiative demonstrated full alignment with the school’s Political-Pedagogical Project and positively impacted families and the external community, transforming students into multipliers of knowledge. The main practical contribution of this work lies in the validation of a methodological roadmap that can inspire and guide other school units in building a truly inclusive education.

However, it was identified that the transposition of learning to daily school life presented challenges, with most teachers reporting only partial application of inclusion values in students’ daily attitudes. The inclusion of special education students was perceived as partial in some dynamics, and attitude changes sometimes proved to be short-lived. The study’s limitations included the period of the scavenger hunt, which may have hindered the immediate consolidation of new behaviors, and the difficulty some students had in prioritizing reflection on diversity over competitiveness. For future studies, it is suggested to monitor students after interventions such as the scavenger hunt, as well as to develop more robust strategies that assist in the continuous integration of discussions on inclusion into the school curriculum. The consolidation of an anti-ableist culture requires overcoming the punctual nature of interventions, demanding the systematic integration of playful and informative dynamics throughout the entire school year.

Bibliographic References

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Article originating from a Final Course Work on Neuroscience and Learning in Education

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