Educação inclusiva na prática: o impacto do software L no ensino de surdos

Abstract

Despite legislative advances in favor of inclusive education in Brazil, effective bilingual education for deaf students still faces significant challenges in everyday school life. The lack of adequate teaching resources, insufficient teacher training, and limited implementation of assistive technologies undermine the assurance of the right to learning under equitable conditions. Although Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) has been officially recognized as the first language (L1) of the deaf community, pedagogical initiatives that effectively integrate Libras into the teaching process, in combination with written Portuguese as a second language (L2), remain scarce. In this context, digital technologies emerge as a promising strategy to break historical barriers and strengthen the autonomy and protagonism of deaf students in the educational environment. Given this issue, the present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Software L, previously developed, as a pedagogical tool in the bilingual literacy process of deaf students. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative data collected through questionnaires containing both open-ended and multiple-choice questions, which were analyzed using Iramuteq and Excel software, respectively. The study was conducted at the Geny de Jesus Souza Ribas Bilingual School for the Deaf and included 39 participants, including teachers (14), pedagogues (3), and deaf students (22) from different age groups. Software L, composed of a web platform and a mobile application, was developed to promote inclusive practices by combining Libras as L1 and Portuguese as L2, allowing the creation, customization, and sharing of accessible and culturally appropriate educational content. In the first stage, the researcher introduced Software L and its technical manual to the teachers and applied a questionnaire to investigate participants’ profiles, their relationship with technology, and their perceptions of the software. In the second stage, the pedagogues implemented the software in a teaching episode with the deaf students, who subsequently completed a questionnaire regarding their perceptions of Software L. The results revealed positive impacts on learning, student engagement, and support for bilingual pedagogical practices. The quantitative analysis indicated a high level of usability and acceptance of the software among users. In contrast, the qualitative analysis highlighted aspects such as accessibility, the valorization of deaf identity, and the enhancement of student autonomy. Developing a technical manual complemented the implementation process by providing didactic support to teachers and facilitating the integration of the resource into educational planning. It is concluded that Software L represents a relevant, accessible, and replicable technological solution that promotes more equitable education, significantly contributing to overcoming persistent gaps in deaf education in Brazil. This research reinforces the importance of developing and validating educational technologies aligned with the linguistic and cultural needs of the deaf community, consolidating bilingualism as a key foundation for genuinely inclusive education.