O sentido e o significado das práticas de cuidar e educar das educadoras de creche: as condições subjetivas e objetivas

Abstract

This study aims to better understand the taking care and teaching practices of day-care educators, who can be either teaching or non-teaching workers. Qualitative approach was chosen so that the research methodology was defined as coherent with both the object and the theoretical references of the study. The resources for collecting data were the questionnaire and the semi-structured interview. For data analysis, the concepts of meaning and sense were used from the activity theory (LEONTIEV, 1978), taking as a starting point the objective and subjective conditions of the educators practice. The results show that meaning and sense of childhood change throughout the historical process, and that this change has an effect on the construction of the Childhood Education. Nowadays, the conception of early childhood education places emphasis on the actions of taking care and teaching as indivisible. However, this meaning is not consistent with the sense some day-care educators gave to their practices. Regarding the objective conditions, there was a concern present directly and indirectly in the educators answers: the importance of having a pedagogical project as a foundation of taking care and teaching practices.