Trabalho com projetos: caminho possível para descobertas significativas e prazerosas para as crianças, professoras e familiares e para uma educação infantil mais respeitosa e feliz

Abstract

The study aimed at identifying and analyzing pre-school teachers’ comprehension related to a methodological approach, called “Project Work. ”The subjects were two teachers responsible for the classes” Infantil 3 and Infantil 4 “in a Brazilian public school. The specific objectives of the research were: a) to identify and analyze teachers’ conceptions about being a child as well about Early Childhood Education and teachers’ role in day cares, nursery school and kindergartens; b) to investigate how teachers perceive their own role, the role of the children, the parents or other people responsible for the child during the development of a Project; c) to investigate which stage of the Project Work teachers consider the most important; d) to trace the main challenges of this learning approach; e) to analyze how Project Work may be beneficial to the children, the parents and the teachers professional development. In order to reach these objectives, a qualitative research, was undertaken utilizing a semi-structured interview with the two teachers. All of the data were recorded in audio and field diary. The theoretical framework included the studies of the following authors: Hernandez (1998), Pinazza apud Oliveira-Formosinho (2002), Barbosa and Horn (2008) and Saboia Leitão (2011).The teachers’ responses suggest that they are able to identify and value children’ capacities to be creative and autonomous. They also recognize that Early Childhood Education and Project Work offer excellent opportunities for children’ whole development. However, when they develop Project Work in their classes, it is still very difficult for them to consider the children as .the center of their planning.