Análise da percepção emocional dos alunos do Curso de Ciências Contábeis da UFRN ao enfrentarem o processo de construção e defesa do TCC

Abstract

This study investigates the emotional perceptions of students and graduates in the Accounting Science course regarding the Final Course Paper (FCP). The overall objective is to analyze whether these perceptions predominantly carry a positive or negative nature, explore the meanings behind negative perceptions, and identify emotional differences among three distinct groups: students not enrolled in the FCP, enrolled students, and graduates. The methodology employed included the administration of a questionnaire, utilizing the Free Word Association Test, focusing on participants' evocations to express their perceptions. To analyze the results, the Prototypic Analysis, following Wachelke and Wolter (2011), and the Mean Order of Evocations (MOE) were utilized. The findings revealed a predominance of negative perceptions, particularly notable among enrolled students, who expressed a more intense emotional burden, as evidenced by terms such as "anxiety" and "exhausting." Graduates also predominantly exhibited negative perceptions, yet positive sentiments gained greater prominence in their responses to other questionnaire prompts—where respondents could express their feelings more effectively—with 11 out of 12 graduates, indicating a more balanced view of the FCP for this group. These emotional variations provide valuable insights for comprehending the complexities of the FCP process, serving as a benchmark for higher education institutions to implement improvements in academic and emotional support for students.