Abstract:

The meaning of work has been the object of various researches under different visions, including the different types of employment bonds. However, there is still a gap for those professionals who work as tutors in DE (Distance Education) and how they find meaning in their jobs. In this sense, this work did empirical research using the qualitative method in which 30 teachers of DE from an HEI (Higher Education Institution) were interviewed. Those interviews were transcribed and submitted to discourse analysis. The content of those interviews was analyzed based on the categories defined by Morin (2001). Additionally, new categories that emerged from the interviewees' responses were registered.

This study found that the meaning of work for the tutor is similar to the categories listed in Morin's (2001) research. Specifically, in the case of DE tutors, it was discovered that tutoring is not the first nor the only career choice of the interviewees, this is due to the fact that a feeling of belittlement has been attributed to this field. In addition, it also lacked a sense of belonging within the interviewees, who attributed this reaction as a response to the lack of employment within the HEI.

Researches over the meaning of work for tutors in DE can contribute to the academy in order to expand the debate and the discussion over the subject and enabling future studies and debates that investigate if the new categories finded in this research can be found in other types of Education Institutions.

Keywords:

Meaning of Work, Mentoring, Higher Education, Distance Education.