Avaliação do Programa Ateliê: ênfase na formação dos(as) professores(as) da Educação Infantil no município de Fortaleza

Abstract

This study evaluates the Ateliê Program – a public policy of the Municipality of Fortaleza for Early Childhood Education – in the pedagogical practices of teachers in the municipal network. The Program, coordinated by the Municipal Department of Education (SME) and the Coordinating Office of Early Childhood Education (COEI), has as its central objective to promote the child as the protagonist of their learning, through the mediation of qualified professionals and the valorization of their multiple languages.Implemented in the Early Childhood Education Centers (CEIs), the Ateliê Program develops its actions through continuous professional development, initially serving pedagogical coordinators who, in turn, multiply the acquired knowledge to teachers in the early childhood education centers (CEI). In this context, the present study aims to evaluate the Ateliê Program in teacher training and the implementation of meaningful pedagogical practices in Early Childhood Education, based on the following central question: Has the training provided by the Ateliê Program fostered innovative pedagogical practices among teachers in the municipal education network of Fortaleza? To answer this question, a plural theoretical approach was adopted, articulating contributions on child development (Piaget, 1980; Vygotsky, 1934), critical pedagogy (Freire, 1997), and approaches inspired by Reggio Emilia (Rinaldi, 2012; Malaguzzi, 2016; Gandini, 2019), essential for analyzing the relationship between teacher training and innovative practices. Methodologically, this was a qualitative and exploratory research (Gil, 2008; Minayo, 2008), with an ethnographic-evaluative focus (Lejano, 2012), which allowed us to understand the cultural dynamics and the meanings attributed by participants to the Program. Data collection occurred in three stages: semi-structured interviews with teachers, managers, and staff from SME, based on Geertz's interpretative approach (1989); focus groups (Morgan, 1997) to capture collective perspectives on the challenges of training; and participant observation (Ingold, 2000) in an Early Childhood Education Center (CEI) in the Education District IV. The triangulation of these results (interviews, focus groups, and observation) confirmed the need for a redesign of the program, with a focus on continuous training, experiential methodologies, and teacher protagonism, aligning with the real demands of the Early Childhood Education Centers (CEIs). Educational praxis is still a concept that is not well assimilated by teachers, requiring training programs that more organically articulate theory and practice. The Program is recognized as a promising public policy, but it requires adjustments to meet the real demands of the daily life in the CEIs. The results obtained highlight that the training offered by the Ateliê Program must be emancipatory and transformative, positioning teachers as protagonists of their professional development and strengthening their valorization. The narratives revealed that the Ateliê Program is a promising public policy, and that continuous professional development is essential for enriching educational praxis. However, these training programs still need to evolve, considering the needs experienced in the daily life of the CEIs. .In summary, we believe in an emancipatory and transformative training, provided that Public Policies recognize the teacher as the protagonist of their formation and promote professional valorization, encouraging active participation in the implementation of the policy.