“TRABALHO DE FORMIGUINHA”: FORMAÇÃO CONTINUADA DE DOCENTES EM SEXUALIDADE NA REDE MUNICIPAL DE EDUCAÇÃO DE MANAUS

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article is part of a doctoral research that analyzed the implementation of in-service teacher education on the topic of sexuality in the Department of Teachers’ Professional Development of the Municipal Secretary of Education in the city of Manaus, Brazil, from its creation in 2000, until the first semester of 2018. We sought to 1) identify the concepts of sexuality and gender that permeate the training and activities developed by teachers in the schools, 2) the impact of the disputes on local legislative power around the educational policies regarding sexuality on the practices of trainers and teacher(s), and 3) to check how both professional groups deal with this established tension. The qualitative study had an ethnographic perspective. We identified that the actions undertaken are permeated by several concepts of sexuality and gender that co-exist or differ depending on the interest at stake in each moment. To deal with the tensions and justify the work relevance, teachers use normative prescriptions and focus on bullying prevention and juvenile sexual violence. Regarding sexuality educational policies, there is a tendency to ignore what children and teenagers think about sexuality, which can show a role of guardianship that continues to linger in this context.