Desafios da docência no Brasil: uma análise sobre insegurança, absenteísmo e (in)satisfação profissional

Abstract

Reports of violence against teachers have become increasingly frequent in Brazilian school environments. In 2019 alone, nearly 18,000 public school teachers reported being victims of threats, assaults, robberies, and/or attacks on their own lives in their workplace. In light of this, the first chapter of this thesis analyzes the factors influencing the likelihood of teachers being threatened or physically assaulted by students or their families, becoming victims of extreme violence, and experiencing property crimes within the school premises. For this analysis, data from SAEB, the School Census, and the Educational Indicators Platform provided by INEP in 2019 were used. The results obtained from the multilevel logistic regression analysis highlight the importance of strengthening teachers' management skills, the support relationships between school leadership and faculty, parental engagement in their children’s education, and the partnership between family and school in mitigating school violence. This violent environment in schools not only increases teachers' sense of insecurity but also affects their health and wellbeing, leading to frequent medical leaves and reduced job satisfaction. In this context, the second chapter examines the factors associated with the frequency and duration of teachers' health-related absences in public schools. To this end, logistic and survival regression models were applied to data from RAIS, SAEB, the School Census, DATASUS, and IBGE for the year 2019. The results indicated that white female teachers, older teachers, and those teaching early childhood education tend to take leave more frequently and for longer periods. Additionally, factors such as working in municipalities with larger populations, lower income levels, high crime rates, a higher average number of classes and students per teacher, and a greater percentage of schools with disciplinary problems also increase the risk of health-related absences. These findings underscore the need for public policies to improve teachers' health and working conditions in schools to mitigate this issue and reduce its associated social and economic costs. Finally, the third chapter focuses on the determinants of teacher job dissatisfaction, their perceptions of the social recognition of the profession, and their assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of the career. The multilevel logistic regression analysis, using data from SAEB, the School Census, and the Educational Indicators Platform from 2019, showed that racial congruence between teachers and school principals is associated with greater job satisfaction, although this effect is moderated by regional dynamics. Additionally, more experienced teachers, those teaching higher education levels, and those working in urban areas, in multiple schools, or who have been victims of school violence tend to be more dissatisfied. On the other hand, professional development, management support, collaboration among colleagues, and good classroom conditions are linked to higher job satisfaction. These results highlight the need for public policies aimed at teacher training, fostering collaboration between teachers and school administrators, and combating school violence to promote teacher satisfaction and well-being.