dos maiores desafios para a institucionalização, colocando em xeque a autonomia
universitária. Com relação à indissociabilidade entre ensino, pesquisa e extensão, 65%
das UFs consideram que esta tem sido parcialmente garantida, em contraste com 22,5%
que acreditam totalmente e 12,5% que não acreditam. As entrevistas demonstraram a
fragilidade desse princípio na EaD, devido sobretudo a dificuldades institucionais e
financeiras na implementação de bolsas de ensino, pesquisa e extensão para alunos da
modalidade. Diante das análises realizadas, demonstrou-se que a institucionalização da
modalidade e a independência do Sistema UAB são processos necessários para,
efetivamente, garantir a indissociabilidade entre ensino, pesquisa e extensão na EaD.
Palavras-chave: Educação a Distância. Institucionalização. Indissociabilidade. Ensino.
Pesquisa. Extensão.
ABSTRACT
The goal of this dissertation is to analyze the principle of the inseparability among
teaching, research and extension in Distance Learning (DL) based on the perspective of
the institutionalization of this modality in Brazilian federal universities. Using quantitative
and qualitative methods, this exploratory research aims to: (1) map out the federal
universities that offer DL undergraduate programs under the parameters of the Brazilian
Open University System (UAB); (2) identify and analyze the parameters involved in their
institutionalization’s processes; (3) verify the availability of research and extension in DL
programs; and (4) be able to quantitatively understand the relationship between
institutionalization and the promotion of inseparability among teaching, research and
extension in distance learning. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with UAB’s
coordinators and administrators of the federal universities’ departments offering DL
programs. The arguments and discussion in this dissertation contemplated authors that
analyze public policies for higher education and DL in social, political, and economic
contexts in Brazil. It is considered that the inseparability among teaching, research and
extension is a principle that should also be extended to DL. This would enable a more
critical academic education that might break with the market-centric logic that has
historically guided the offering of DL programs. The quantitative research includes
feedback from 81.6% of the federal universities offering active DL programs as part of the
UAB system, distributed through all the geographical regions of the country. The analysis
of the data has shown that the majority (65%) of the universities that participated in this
study rely on the financing provided by the UAB system. Interview findings include that
the UAB system has been singled out as one of the biggest challenges for
institutionalization, putting in check universities’ autonomy. Regarding the inseparability
among teaching, research and extension in distance learning, 65% of the participating
universities believe that this inseparability has been only partially guaranteed. In contrast,
22.5% of the universities believe it has been fully guaranteed whereas 12.5% believe that
it has not been guaranteed at all. The interview data points to the fragility of this principle
in DL, especially regarding institutional and financial difficulties of implementing
scholarships and funding for teaching, research and extension for DL students. The
analyses conducted have shown that the institutionalization of the modality and
independence of the UAB system are processes necessary to effectively guarantee the
inseparability among teaching, research and extension in Distance Learning.