Tarefa escolar para casa: análise dos saberes envoltos nesta prática

Abstract

Homework is a widespread educational practice in Brazilian schools; however, it remains underexplored, as it is only marginally addressed in national academic educational discussions. This reality gave rise to the central question of this study: what are the conceptions, knowledge, and practices of teachers working in the early years of primary education regarding homework? The research aims to analyze teachers’ understanding of homework from the perspective of Teacher Knowledge. This is an exploratory study with a qualitative approach, based on two stages of data collection: a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The data analysis is grounded in Bardin’s (2011) framework of Content Analysis. The study draws on discussions around Teacher Knowledge, Observational Learning, and engages scholars in the fields of Teacher Education, Curriculum Studies, among others. The research revealed that, although widely recognized by teachers as an essential practice for teaching and learning, there is a significant gap in teacher training, as 74.4% had not addressed the topic during initial training and 68% reported no discussions during continuing education. Incorporated into pedagogical planning, TEC serves functions such as content reinforcement, development of student autonomy, family engagement, and reflection, yet it remains largely focused on task execution with little critical assessment. The analysis showed that TEC reflects teachers’ interpretations of the curriculum, influencing pedagogical organization and acting as a formative tool. Understood as a “device in-between” (Certeau), homework lies between institutional norms and everyday creative possibilities, potentially fulfilling roles similar to Student Support Devices, such as learning monitoring and pedagogical adaptation. The findings suggest that, when intentionally planned, TEC strengthens both student and teacher autonomy, although its transformative potential is currently limited by the lack of structured theoretical debate in training contexts. Ultimately, the study proposes that homework should transcend its traditional role and be configured as an intentional and innovative pedagogical device, systematically integrated into teacher education to foster both students’ holistic development and teachers’ professional growth.