Aprender com quem ensina: as percepções de professores de educação básica sobre as demandas de seu trabalho

Abstract

The challenges experienced in the dynamics of work for Basic Education teachers lead to the erosion of the identity of being a teacher, making them more susceptible to losing the sense of purpose in their work, as well as exposing them to situations that risk their mental and psychological well-being. These risk factors are associated with a form of organization in the neoliberal capitalist work environment, where workers are dispossessed of what they produce in terms of material, social, cultural, economic, and historical aspects, while also minimizing the responsibility of the state in social policies such as education. Considering the internalization of capitalist principles, even through training programs influenced by Taylorism, Fordism, and the Toyota production system, the presence of the ruling class in Brazilian politics adopts a state management model based on evaluations and results. These principles permeate the world of work as a whole, including family and teachers. In this sense, work in the capitalist world is alienating, causing people to lose connection with essential elements for maintaining their social lives, distancing them from their own reality. Since discourse is both a material and subjective element, listening to teachers reveals how a mode of production that alienates people from themselves and how they produce their lives affects the school, yet these aspects are not considered in assessments, favoring an elite while erasing the pains and desires of those who depend on a more dignified social life. Therefore, the overall objective of this study was to understand the perspective of Basic Education teachers regarding their work and the roles assigned to them by school management and the community. Five teachers who work or have worked in the Public Municipal and/or State Education system participated in the research. Semi-structured interviews and the visual methodology of Photovoice were used to collect data from the teachers. Thematic Analysis was employed for data analysis. Regarding Photovoice, each participant produced five photographs, totaling 25 images that were triangulated with the interview narratives. Seven central themes emerged from the interviews and photographs: 1) Education and Initial Contacts; 2) Conditions, Resources, and Infrastructure; 3) Policies, Work Regime, Administrative Bodies, and Valuation; 4) School Contact, Family, and Community; 5) Relationship with the School Community; 6) The Role of the School and Teachers; 7) Projections and Desires. This research concluded that the impact of a mode of production that alienates individuals from themselves and influences teachers' work goes beyond public policies, encompassing a broader context that dispossesses them of their tools, undervalues them, and blames them for issues that extend beyond the school walls. We suggest that future research collect reports from other members of the school community and those beyond the school to contrast with the narratives of Basic Education teachers, providing a broader analysis of the school and avoiding the blame of its actors.