A prática pedagógica em turmas multisseriadas de uma escola municipal ribeirinha em Humaitá – Amazonas

Abstract

This dissertation was developed within the scope of the Graduate Program in Science and Humanities Teaching (PPGECH, acronym in Portuguese), in the research line Ensino das Ciências e Humanas [Teaching of Sciences and Humanities], at the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM, acronym in Portuguese). The research presents the following concerns: On what legal foundations do teachers rely to work in multigrade classes? What methodology do educators use? How is this practice experienced in daily life? Given these questions, this study aimed to analyze the pedagogical practice of an educator in rural communities in two multigrade classes within a riverside context at a school of the waters in Amazonas. This research sought to identify the legal documents that support multigrade teaching in rural community schools, investigate how the pedagogical practice is carried out by the educator in a riverside multigrade context, and understand how she implements her practice. The study is theoretically based on authors who discuss education in rural communities, pedagogical practice, curriculum, and multigrade teaching: Franco (2018), Ghedin (2012), Hage (2005, 2010, 2011), Locks, Almeida, and Pacheco (2013), Pianovski and Oliveira (2017), Santos and Moura (2021), Souza (2016), among others; in addition to documents, regulations, and decrees that support multigrade classes in the context of education for rural populations. A qualitative research approach was chosen, specifically a case study, employing document analysis, observation, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. For data analysis, Bardin’s (2020) content analysis was adopted. This research is relevant as it addresses a topic that has been little studied in the municipality of Humaitá and contributes, through scientific dissemination, to improving the pedagogical practices of educators working in multigrade classes in the region. Several factors that hinder pedagogical practice were identified: poor school infrastructure, lack of teaching and pedagogical materials, absence of regular pedagogical supervision, and excessive workload. Despite these precarious working conditions, the teacher’s effort and dedication to her teaching practice were evident, particularly through the use of interdisciplinarity in delivering content to ensure that all children/students in the multigrade classes were included. Her planning is based on the Multigrade Pedagogical Curriculum Proposal of the Humaitá–Amazonas Municipal Education Network, developed by the Municipal Department of Education, despite receiving no guidance on how to use it. Thus, with no prior experience in this teaching model, it was through the exercise of her role that the teacher developed her own way of working, integrating content with the cultural and local realities of students in rural communities.