AGE DIVERSITY IN ADULT EDUCATION: The Impact of Living with Differences in the School Environment

Abstract

This research aims to reflect on age diversity within Youth and Adult Education (EJA) and on how students and teachers navigate this reality. In recent years, EJA classes in Brazilian public schools have undergone a rejuvenation process, resulting in greater age diversity within classrooms. This context poses challenges, as students differ not only in age but also in life experiences and values, which requires teachers to reorganize their pedagogical practices and adapt to the school environment. The main objective of this study is to understand how students from different age groups interact with one another, how they influence each other’s learning, and how this dynamic affects the mathematics teacher’s pedagogical practice. The guiding research question is: How is the teaching–learning process in EJA influenced by the presence of students from different age groups? To address this question, we administered a questionnaire consisting of seven open-ended questions and analyzed the data using a mixed-methods approach. The results indicate that age diversity significantly affects teaching practices. They also suggest that, to ensure equitable opportunities for the development of mathematical knowledge, teachers must adapt their instruction to the specific characteristics of each age group.