Ação docente e ensino de geografia: limites e possibilidades para a aplicabilidade do currículo no programa ensino integral

Abstract

The present work is in line with the research entitled “Formation and action of the teaching professional and educational practices”, part of the Master’s Degree Education Postgraduate Program of the University of Western São Paulo, and focuses on the teaching practice concerning the Geography Curriculum at full-time schools. The purpose of this research was to analyze the implementation and development of the Geography Curriculum at Elementary and Secondary schools pertaining to the full-time education program named “Programa Ensino Integral” (PEI), from the perspective of teachers and their pedagogical practices in the class room. This work aimed to understand how the teaching of Geography reveals itself in the class room pertaining to the PEI; to investigate which are the possibilities and limitations presented by the PEI to the development of the Geography Curriculum; to investigate the possibilities and limitations the PEI may offer to the Geography teaching practices; to describe and analyze the perception of the teachers of the PEI concerning the development of the Geography Curriculum. The methodology was based on a qualitative research approach, with a descriptive interpretative approach. The data collection was done through the application of a questionnaire, interviews with semi-structured script and classroom observations, conducted with five Geography teachers who act in the “Programa Ensino Integral” in Araçatuba/SP in Elementary and Secondary School. The data analysis setup three analytical axis from Bardin (2009) content analysis: Conceptions about education and teaching, Pedagogical work organization and management, and the teaching practice in the class room. The results show that, even in an innovative environment such as the PEI, there coexist teachers that rule their teaching practice on a conservative paradigm based on a Traditional Geography, and teachers that act on an innovative paradigm based on a Critical Geography. The data reveals that PEI offers facilitation elements to the teaching process, such as a distinguishing composition of the work day, a stronger pedagogical exam and the possibility of working with distinguished lessons. Notwithstanding, the excessive bureaucracy, the management model based on results and the student’s long stay in the class room are cited as elements which render the teaching practice difficult. The tutoring, the possibilities of interdisciplinary work among projects and the development of the curriculum reflect positively on the teaching practice. We conclude that this research give rise to discussion concerning the adjustments that may take place in the program in order to enhance itself and guarantee a better use of the possibilities it offers to teachers and students.