Trabalho docente e qualidade da educação: dificuldades encontradas por professores dos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental
Resumen
The aim of this study is to investigate the perception of elementary school teachers (initial
grades) on the contributions of teaching practice to a quality education, aiming at
comprehending the main difficulties they indentify in their work to build a quality education.
This study was conducted in a city in the state of Sao Paulo with two municipal public
elementary schools that scored highly in Prova Brasil (2011) regarding the city average. The
methodology is characterized as qualitative. The data for this study was collected through socioeconomic
survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews conducted with eight teachers
from both of the selected institutions. Critical approaches in education, innovation and quality
education were adopted to address the research goal, contemplating the teacher as a
fundamental agent in the transformation process of education. The results from the socioeconomic
survey questionnaires and the interview with four teachers from each of the
institutions selected for this study, named School A and School B, reveal the need for
questioning the current processes of institutional assessment. This questioning is due to the fact
that most of the pedagogues, participants of this study, highlight more negative aspects rather
than contributions of the external evaluations for quality teaching practice. The teachers believe
that the school in which they work promotes quality education, but the participants demonstrate
different understanding about the quality of education that draws attention to the polysemy of
the concept. They understand that changes in teaching practice (innovations) should be part of
the monthly curriculum plan and of the teaching/learning processes. The participants point out
that the difficulties of teaching practice are mainly found in pedagogical practice, in the lack of
physical and material aspects in the schools, in the working conditions, with emphasis on low
pay that teachers from basic education receive, in the lack of family support for students, in the
devaluation of education and teaching staff, and student indiscipline. They noted that their
training, obtained through the public high school teacher training, their undergraduate studies,
their continuing education, and graduate course is what contributes to their pedagogical
practice. It is also stated that most of them follow theoretical conceptions based on active
teaching methodologies, although the data supports the multidimensional components of their
conception of quality and theoretical principles. This survey may provide some elements that
contribute to the reflection at the university about the educator’s professional performance,
aiming at the quality of the teaching/learning process and it may contribute to the enhancement
of public schools teachers’ efforts.