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Pedagogical work of teachers in multigrade classes in the context of regulatory educational policies

Abstract

This article results from a set of studies carried out by the “Observatory of Field Education in the Identity Territories of Recôncavo and Vale do Jiquiriçá-Bahia (Observale),” a Research Group affiliated with the Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia (UFRB), Amargosa Campus, which focus on multigrade schools. Specifically, we consider our involvement in research projects that problematize the issue of teaching work and educational policies for rural multigrade field schools from different angles and perspectives. Grounded in studies addressing neoliberal reforms in Education, such as Afonso (2000), Ball (2011), Barroso (2005), Beech (2009), and Hypólito (2010); in studies on Field Education (Arroyo, 2007; Caldart, 2004; Molina, 2015; Moura, 2019; Santos & Moura, 2024); and in works on Multigrade Schools (Arroyo, 2012; Hage, 2014; Rolim, 2023; Moura & Santos, 2012; Santos, 2015), among others, the article seeks to problematize the pedagogical work of teachers working in multigrade field schools within the context of regulatory educational policies, aiming to establish the relationship between conservative, managerialist educational policies, their mechanisms and regulatory devices in the management of pedagogical work of multigrade teachers. The data emerging from the research, systematized here, reveal important aspects regarding the management of pedagogical work in multigrade field schools, primarily exposing how the materialization of Field Education within schools is compromised by the logic of school regulation through managerialist educational policies, especially those related to teacher training, assessment, and curriculum.