Aprender ao olhar para si: diário para fomentar a Aprendizagem Socioemocional entre graduandos(as) de Medicina

Abstract

This study addresses the design and evaluation process of the Aprender ao olhar para si Diary, aimed at fostering socio and emotional learning among undergraduate medical students. To this end, we conducted an applied study with a qualitative approach, grounded in a methodological stance informed by the perspective of complexity (Morin, 2010), the notion of tentative processes (Braga, 2010), and the recognition of the relationship and the intertwining of our lived experiences as researchers and authors with the theoretical-methodological decisions adopted. The development of the educational product stemmed from a specific context, the Faculty of Medicine (FAMED) at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), where we conducted semi-structured interviews with the vice-director and with preceptors who are also alumni of the program. This process enabled us to identify common aspects and challenges in students’ academic lives, as well as the socio and emotional competences deemed most relevant for the training of future physicians. To provide theoretical grounding for both the research and the design and development of the diary, we drew upon literature addressing the broad concept of socio and emotional competences, articulating two frameworks: LifeComp (Sala et al., 2020) and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning – CASEL (CASEL, 2013; 2020). This articulation led to the definition of 13 socio and emotional competences that guided the creation of the Aprender ao olhar para si Diary which consists of a set of reflective and self-assessment activities compiled into two A5-sized printed booklets. The proposal sought to encourage and value students’ engagement with a physical and playful materiality, thereby promoting moments of (self)connection. The diary was piloted and evaluated by seven medical students from different stages of the program (UFPA) and with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, over a period of approximately 30 days. At the end of this period, we conducted individual, in-person semi-structured interviews, during which we collected the completed materials and listened to students’ reflections on their experiences with the diary. Findings highlight the relevance of the educational product in fostering self-reflective and self-assessment practices that are fundamental to students’ learning processes. The diary represents a pause within a dense, tense, and demanding academic journey that rarely encourages reflection on one’s own learning, diverging from the strictly technical and content centered approach that characterizes medical education programs. Furthermore, given its transversal nature, the diary can be adapted and applied to different contexts and levels of training, both in Medicine and across other fields of health education.