Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: VALÉRIA FERNANDES DE ABREU

LISTENING TO NARRATIVES, (CON)RELING MEMORIES AND CHALLENGES OF EARLY EARLY EDUCATION TEACHERS ABOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Teacher narratives; Pedagogical practices; Early childhood education; COVID-19 pandemic; Case study.

The subject of this thesis garnered significant global attention in 2020, as humanity grappled with the emergence of the novel coronavirus. The heightened crisis during that year shook the world, halting economies, shuttering schools, and instilling fear while profoundly altering people's daily routines. Its relevance persists in 2024 due to the ongoing presence of the disease, which continues to impact various sectors, including Early Childhood Education. Since the enactment of LDBEN 9394/96, Early Childhood Education has constituted the initial phase of Basic Education, characterized by guiding principles, interactions, and play, which were supplanted during this period by remote education. This research focuses on the narratives of Early Childhood Education teachers, examining the emerging challenges for pedagogical practices during the pandemic and their influence on the post-pandemic era in childhood education. We aim to comprehend how these professionals experienced the discourses, curriculum, and practices during this period and how they inform future agendas for Early Childhood Education. Considering the diverse initiatives undertaken to sustain the academic year since the onset of the pandemic, this research poses the question: How did Early Childhood Education teachers adapt their pedagogical practices during the critical period of the pandemic and subsequent social distancing measures? To address this query, we engage in a dialogue between education and philosophy throughout the text. The text is structured akin to a house, symbolizing the confinement experienced throughout the pandemic. This metaphorical house draws inspiration from Veiga-Neto's writings. Just as exploring all floors of a house—including the attic and basement—is necessary, the pandemic revealed that certain strategies, seemingly dormant in the basements of Early Childhood Education, resurfaced and influenced the educational landscape. While the pandemic necessitated scrutiny of immediate concerns within Early Childhood Education, it also underscores the importance of examining broader perspectives post-pandemic. Thus, within the context of 21st-century challenges, the pandemic unfolds, amidst transformations in capitalism. This work draws upon the political philosophy of Slavoj Žižek and Mark Fisher, alongside Walter Benjamin's concepts of memory, experience, and narrative. Benjamin's inclusion is warranted due to the historical narratives inherent to the inhabitants of the metaphorical house being constructed in this thesis, situated in the municipality of Duque de Caxias. The selection of this municipality as the research field stems from its unique response to the COVID health emergency, empowering each school unit to autonomously determine the continuity of Early Childhood Education activities. Furthermore, Duque de Caxias diverged from national guidelines during the pandemic, crafting its own pedagogical proposal instead of adhering directly to the National Common Curricular Base. This research aims to identify the challenges encountered by the municipality following the suspension of school activities, the solutions devised, and their implications for the future of Early Childhood Education. Employing qualitative research methods, this study adopts a case study approach, delving into the homes of eight Early Childhood Education teachers across four districts of Duque de Caxias: Centro, Campos Elíseos, Imbariê, and Xerém.