THE INFANTILIZATION OF PEDAGOGICAL METHODOLOGIES IN YOUTH AND ADULT EDUCATION AND ITS IMPACTS ON SCHOOL DROPOUT

Abstract

This research investigates the relationship between the infantilization of teaching methodologies and school dropout in Youth and Adult Education (EJA). This study starts from the understanding that EJA students need to be recognized as adult subjects, with autonomy, experiences, and their own trajectories, so that their continued presence in school is strengthened. The research is qualitative, with a bibliographic and descriptive approach, grounded in authors such as Paulo Freire, Miguel Arroyo, and Malcolm Knowles. The results indicate that decontextualized materials, condescending language, and inadequate environments generate dehumanization and alienation of identity in learners. It is concluded that overcoming dropout rates requires andragogical principles that value prior experience and the practical usefulness of knowledge, transforming the classroom into a space for dialogue, cognitive justice, and social emancipation.