Academic experiences of university students in an emerging project with primary school children during the in-person return

The return of students from all educational levels to the in-person model constituted a complex process determined by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the present study was to identify the academic experiences of eighth-semester students during the implementation of an emerging project aimed at developing social skills in primary school children through playful activities framed in the community social work method. The intervention of the university students was carried out from February to June 2021, during the return to the in-person model. This was a non-experimental, qualitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study with a phenomenological approach. The sample was non-probabilistic by convenience and consisted of students from the School of Social Work. Data were collected through discussion groups and group sessions and were systematized using Atlas.ti software, version 7. Three categories were identified in the results: didactic learning environments, group and individual perceptions, and personal development. The students expressed satisfaction with their intervention experience.