Cuidar/educar: formação de profissionais de creche em contexto de Extensão Universitária

Abstract

This research is the result of a University Extension course aimed at caring/educating at the daycare center. The course was created for professionals who work with babies and young children in a municipal daycare center in the city of São Carlos, SP. We hypothesize that University Extension can be an important opportunity for teacher education, especially for changing and expanding conceptions about teaching in the daycare center, with an emphasis on caring and education. How can a University Extension course contribute to the training of professionals working in early childhood education, especifically with regard to the meanings attributed by the participants about caring and education? This thesis proposes a University Extension Course to analyze how it contributes to the training of professionals working in this scenario. We adopted a theoretical framework on the themes of early childhood education, caring and teacher training. In the field of early childhood education, we rely on legislation, official documents and authors who discuss the bond and credit the child with rights, understanding pedagogical action as a shared activity. We anchor in references that understand teacher training as something permanent and contextualized. With a qualitative approach, the investigation was carried out based on a case study in the scope of intervention. The organization of this action took place in three stages: 1 - Characterization of the group, survey of training needs and initial understandings about caring/educating in early childhood; 2 - Intervention based on the needs presented in the first stage; 3 - Analysis of care/educating after the second stage. We adopted the focus group for the main analysis, with footage and transcriptions of images and audio. This research was conducted in a Municipal Center for Early Childhood Education (CEMEI), having as participants the 25 professionals involved in the Extension course. Data organization was carried out through content analysis. These were organized into three thematic categories: “Understanding caring/educating in Early Childhood Education”; “Training of Professionals in Early Childhood Education in a University Extension Activity”; "Perspectives, reflections and understandings about caring/educating in Early Childhood Education". The results showed that initially the research participants understood the care in the daycare center associated with welfarism. Through participation in the University Extension course, they expanded their understanding on care/education as inseparable and anchored in human relations based on the affection, respect and listening of babies and young children. The University Extension proved to be a privileged opportunity for teacher education as a way to transform and improve their conceptions and practices. This researched proposed how to run an extension course, based on listening to teachers about their difficulties and demands, allowing them to reflect collaboratively on theories and practices. We intend to show that training is accomplished in context and that these professionals are historically situated subjects. That is why the partnership between university and the public education network is necessary and effective, providing quality education that cares/educates these professionals and that impacts teaching.