Determinants of political behavior and the role of technology in the classroom: An empirical investigation in Brazil

摘要

University professors face numerous challenges, especially when teaching issues related to political behavior. Recent studies in Brazil have shown that technology, clarity of information and impartial debates in the classroom have led to the development of more frequent political behaviors among Brazilian students. However, this research subject remains poorly addressed in Brazil. We investigated the development of political attitudes and political behavior of undergraduate students in Brasilia, Brazil. We applied questionnaires to students (N = 349) in undergraduate courses (social, exact and health sciences) of a public university in Brasilia (Federal District), capital of Brazil. Principal Components Analysis was used and three dimensions of political attitudes were created: (i) Degree of political knowledge Factor (PK), (ii) Positive Feelings about Politics Factor (PFP) and (ii) Negative Feelings about Politics Factor (NFP). The results suggest that students from social sciences undergraduate courses have a higher PK average in comparison to other student groups. Moreover, a linear regression model was developed for PFP factor. For PFP and NFP, the students from the social sciences areas were statistically significant (p 0.05). Based on the outcomes of this study, we argue that it is essential for teachers to be aware of the importance of introducing themes related to political behavior in the classroom, considering the influence that political attitudes have on political behavior. It is the professor's role to stimulate impartial debate, free of personal preferences while presenting arguments from the students' arguments, in order to promote the scientific understanding of these subjects.