Representações sociais e educação infantil: contribuições da formação inicial das professoras

Abstract

This paper presents part of a research entitled Social Representations on the work of the early childhood education teacher, whose methodological theoretical reference the Social Representation Theory, inaugurated by Moscovici in 1961. The study of social representations in EI is relevant given that the work of the teachers of this stage of basic education is characterized by many tensions that are rooted in the different trajectories of the two contexts that are: daycare center and preschool. The first appears as healthcare institution and the second comes up with educational and instructional focus. These historical differences produce ideas and conflicting meanings that live in social representations of this stage of education and guide the training and practices of professionals who work in it. Research has longitudinal character and the data was obtained with 91 students of the Faculty of Education UFFS when enrolled in the course (2010, 2011 and 2012) and 44 students were enrolled when the last year (graduating classes of 2014 and 2015), and most students participated on both occasions. Both times were questionnaires that provided information on sociodemographic and academic profile of students and requested their judgments about the image of theprofession, the formation of the teacher, their status, their jobs and their skills. The outline presented here refers only to the image and the tasks of teachers, comparing the daycare center and preschool. The responses of the freshmen and the questions related to these themes were compared in order to identify possible changes. The results show that at the end of the course, prevails not consider the tasks related to body care as pertaining to the work of EI teacher. Probably the rejection of these elements is anchored in the historical split between care and education, which led to the devaluation of care work in a purely hygienic nature, which did not require an academic background. On the other hand, although the school model also weigh in the constitution of representations of preschool, academic background appears to contribute to the creation of a specific representation of the work of EI teacher centered in play, which involves planning activities the organization of the environment and the interaction with families. These contents are present both in the work of the image daycare center teacher as in the preschool, which suggests the possibility of integration between these two levels, as well as recognition of the need for specific academic training. This points to the weakening of the historical association between the work of EI teacher and motherhood for the sake of professionalism, which is an achievement of professionals and specialists.