Risk and protective factors in school: Failure and future expectations of young in Pará

In this study we investigate the relations existing amid school failure, perceptions concerning the school and expectations of future among young people, from data of a sample of 610 young people with ages between 14 and 24 years (m=16,56; dp=2,37), of both sexes, students from public schools of Belém city in Pará state. A questionnaire with 77 multiple choice questions was used. The results revealed that almost half of students already presented school failure, although they present good perception concerning the school. Correlations between school disapproval and low expectations of academic future and between good perceptions concerning the school and best academic expectations were observed. The expectation of having access to the university appeared more associated to female sex. The results may contribute to the understanding of the importance of the school in promoting protective factors in the learners development.