Práticas de apoio e acompanhamento da gestão pedagógica às professoras iniciantes da educação infantil: um balanço bibliográfico de pesquisas na área nos últimos 30 anos

Abstract

The beginning of a teaching career is a distinctive phase in teachers’ professional trajectories, marked by a range of feelings, experiences, challenges, and discoveries. In this regard, we believe that the analysis of studies addressing this period can broaden discussions on the subject and strengthen the movement toward teacher professionalization in Brazil, particularly through the theoretical perspective of the Epistemology of Practice (Schön, 1992; Marcelo Garcia, 1999, 2010; Tardif, 2002, 2013, 2014; Nóvoa, 2017, 2019; Onofre, 2025). The aim of this research was to examine doctoral dissertations and master’s theses produced in Brazil over the last 30 years (1995–2025), seeking to identify and analyze the support and guidance practices provided by pedagogical management to early-career female teachers in Early Childhood Education. The study was based on the hypothesis that such support and guidance practices are essential to assisting these teachers in the initial stages of their careers. In this context, the following research question was established: What support and guidance practices does pedagogical management provide to early-career female teachers in Early Childhood Education, according to a bibliographic review of research produced over the last 30 years (1995–2025)? To address this question, a qualitative, exploratory, and bibliographic study was conducted, drawing on Gil (2002). Research available in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) was surveyed to develop a bibliographic overview of scientific publications produced between 1995 and 2025. Based on the established selection criteria, 12 studies were selected, comprising four doctoral dissertations and eight master’s theses, which were examined and analyzed throughout the study. Based on this mapping, the research sought to systematize educational proposals and support and guidance practices for early-career female teachers that had yielded positive results, contributing to reflection on professional pathways in teaching and to the strengthening of such practices. The analysis identified three thematic categories: (1) early-career female teachers; (2) pedagogical management; and (3) support from more experienced peers. The findings revealed support and guidance practices organized into seven dimensions: (1) a collective culture of welcoming and active listening; (2) systematic pedagogical and emotional support provided by school management, including pedagogical coordinators and school principals; (3) the direct involvement of experienced peers as mentors; (4) continuing professional development centered on the school environment, through face-to-face formats, such as HTPCs, HTPIs, and PEAs, or online formats, such as the Moodle-based program PFoM; (5) support, guidance, and continuing professional development initiatives developed through university–school partnerships; (6) written and narrative documentation tools, as well as practical strategies that foster empowerment and reflection-in-action; and (7) personalized welcoming practices for teachers upon their arrival at educational institutions. Based on the identification of these practices, a professional development proposal was developed to outline pathways for collaboration between pedagogical coordinators and more experienced peers, structured as a continuum of professional development. The findings are expected to contribute to Early Childhood Education systems by providing insights to inform the development and strengthening of policies and practices aimed at supporting and guiding early-career female teachers.