Academic performance of nursing students from a federal institution of higher education

Abstract

Objective: To know the opinion of nursing students on academic performance in the university context. Method: Exploratory-descriptive study with a qualitative approach, anchored methodologically in Historical and Dialectical Materialism. Interviews were conducted mediated by a semi-structured script whose population consisted of students from the Bachelor of Nursing Course, chosen by availability until information saturation. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a series of precautions was taken to carry out the collection of empirical material, in addition to constant attention to the prerogatives of international and national health authorities. Results: The discourse analysis allowed the comprehension of two empirical categories "Relationship between academic performance, assessment and grades" in which it was possible to elucidate the importance of the grade as a reflection of a good academic performance and "Family issues" pointing out that the family context presents significant influence on the academic performance of the interviewees. Conclusion: A strong defense of grade is perceived as a determining aspect for a good academic performance, despite being a form of evaluation that converges to a non-emancipatory practice and that is constantly discussed in different academic spaces. Academic performance suffers from several external and internal influences to the environment and conflicting family relationships were identified as determining aspects in challenging moments of the university trajectory, therefore, the professional support of psychologists and pedagogues within the academic environment is important.