O processo de implantação da Pedagogia Histórico-Crítica no Estado de São Paulo: análise dos desafios e possibilidades

Abstract

This dissertation was developed as part of the Graduate Program in Education at the University of Western São Paulo (Presidente Prudente Campus—SP) and falls under the research area “Public Policies in Education, Educational Processes, and Diversity.” Implementing Historical-Critical Pedagogy involves organizing school curricula and practices in accordance with the principles of this pedagogical theory, with the aim of providing a well-rounded education for individuals and facilitating emancipatory social change. This pedagogical theory is the central theme of this research, which was developed collectively at the national level, with Professor Dermeval Saviani as its pioneer. The overall objective of this thesis was to critically analyze the challenges and possibilities involved in implementing Historical-Critical Pedagogy, with an emphasis on experiences with its implementation on in school municipalities throughout the state of São Paulo. Methodologically, the research is grounded in Dialectical Historical Materialism, employing the following data collection tools: a Systematic Literature Review conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, a documentary research of official legislation; and semi-structured interviews with educational researchers working in the state of São Paulo who are involved in the formal implementation of the theory. Written in a multipapers format, the thesis subjected all the collected data to a historical-dialectical materialist analytics approach to extract the explanatory and foundational categories of the subject matter, linked to the core categories of the method. The documentary analyses were linked to comparative education, and the semi-structured interviews were linked to the “nuclei of meaning” procedure. The study expanded the knowledge of the limitations and pathways toward the official implementation of Historical-Critical Pedagogy in the curricula of municipalities in São Paulo that have municipalized the early childhood education and elementary education to develop their own curricula in a manner that challenges state guidelines. The systematic review highlighted practical obstacles, such as a lack of continuing professional development for teachers and weaknesses in school infrastructure; the inseparable relationship between education and politics; and the need to value, plan for, and coordinate the education workforce. The document analysis revealed neoliberal influences on educational policies and the impacts of federal guidelines that undermine historical-critical proposals. Finally, the interviews provided a deeper understanding of the challenges — such as the tension between work hours and teacher training, policy discontinuities, ideological conflicts, and internal obstacles within the movement itself — while also revealing viable paths through partnerships with municipal departments of education and local public universities to strengthen isolated initiatives. It can be concluded that there are intrinsic difficulties in implementing curricula based on Historical-Critical Pedagogy in the State of São Paulo, primarily due to the ideological conflicts inherent in the process. The research delved deeper into the historical obstacles that hinder the implementation of this theory: the absence of a homogeneous national education system, the lack of continuity in public policies, and the material and organizational precariousness of schools. It is evident, however, that there are opportunities for historical-critical approaches aimed at the holistic development of individuals and the qualitative improvement of education, thereby contributing to the transformation of society.