A disciplina Política Educacional em cursos de Pedagogia no Brasil

Abstract

This thesis main focus is Education Policy (EP) teaching in onsite Pedagogy courses in Brazilian Higher Education Institutions. From an ethic-onto-epistemological perspective based on Antonio Gramsci’s Philosophy of Praxis, we sought to identify the role of the Education Policy subject in the education of educators. The research qualitative-quantitative methodology involved: a) mapping and analyzing the curriculum of 128 EP and related subjects in onsite Pedagogy courses of 101 Brazilian public universities; b) applying a semi-structured questionnaire to 433 professors, out of which only 24 were answered and returned; and c) interviewing 10 professors of EP, 2 from each region of the country. Our results pointed out that: EP is regarded the same importance as the other subjects in teachers’ education curricula (both teaching and specific subjects) and EP can present a theoretical-practical and instrumental dimension towards a broad and critical understanding of the education reality and demands. However, some conditioning factors must be taken into account, as follows: a) the subject background and its link to the Structure and Functioning subject; and b) the education of teachers to work with this subject, their commitment with the field and EP as a political and scientific project. We concluded that when some factors are interrelated, they are essential in the EP teaching process in education undergraduate courses. This includes the following actions: a) the subject requires the type of curricular organization that allows future teachers and educators directly linked to Education Policies to analyze the policies proposed, understanding their role in this process and adopting a critical position in relation to them; b) teachers’ political and scientific education leading to their instrumentalization in the critical understanding of education policies; c) EP subject articulation with other subjects that enable the visualization of the EP materiality in the daily work of future educators; and, d) greater attention should be drawn to students’ perceptions regarding EP teaching and its meaning in their education process. EP is a vital subject in the education of future educators, so that they are able to analyze the policies proposed, understand their role regarding such policies and positioning themselves (critically) in relation to them. Thus, the subject must be taught bearing in mind the qualification profile required by the needs that the work routine will present to these future professionals.