Brazilian Public Schools Research Articles

Inglês em tempos de globalização: para além de bem e mal

This article resumes three interpretations for the phenomenon of the bond between globalization and English. First, it recalls the naive position that sees the worldliness of English as natural and neutral. Second, it presents the critical view deeply marked by the nationalist and anti-imperialist ideology that understands the spread of English as another dimension of USA domination over the world. Finally, the third view is the critical viewpoint of the critical viewpoint that points out the limitations of the anti-imperialist position in the new world order imposed by globalization. However, whatever the interpretation is, no one wants or can wait any longer to learn English. These urges place us face to face with the historic inefficiency of Brazilian public schools to teach foreign languages. Along the years the privilege of efficient teaching has been allocated to private language institutes. Such situation has been turning the competent learning of English among other languages into a cultural asset guaranteed only to the children of wealthy classes in Brazilian society. For the wealthy, on the horizon appears the so called bilingual school. And what is there for the others, for the underprivileged? Key words: globalization, public education, foreign language teaching/learning.

Desenvolvimento profissional do professor de Matemática em início de carreira no Brasil

This study intends to understand how a teacher of Mathematics evolves as a professional during the first three years of teaching. A data collection was conducted in two stages. The first, more exploratory, consisted of collecting information, by means of a questionnaire, on how teachers of Mathematics, recently graduated from Unicamp, faced the challenges of their initial phase of teaching. On a second stage, a case study was developed on the only math-teacher of the group that was still teaching in a public school. The analysis of the case was developed starting from three axes: path of personal and academic-professional developments; mobilization and (re)meaning of professional knowledge in school practice; challenges faced in the Brazilian public school system. The results, on the one hand, confirmed those obtained in other countries about the “reality shock” and the challenges and dilemmas lived in that phase, on the other hand, they show the difficulty faced by a math-teacher, even with good professional education, to survive with dignity and productive work in a Brazilian public school. This study, however, presents evidences that the collaboration between teachers and teacher-educators, in that phase, represents an essential factor to the professional development of math-teacher.

Objective and subjective evaluation of the acoustic comfort in public classrooms

The acoustic comfort of classrooms in a Brazilian public school has been evaluated through interviews with 62 teachers and 464 pupils and measurements of background noise, reverberation time, and sound insulation. Acoustic measurements have revealed the poor acoustic quality of the classrooms. Results have shown that teachers and pupils consider the noise generated and the voice of the teacher in neighboring classrooms as the main sources of annoyance inside the classroom. Acoustic simulations resulted in the suggestion of placement of perforated plywood on the ceiling, for reduction in reverberation time and increase in the acoustic comfort of the classrooms. [Work supported by DAAD, CNPq and FINEP.]

Mo-P1:94 Weight at birth and correlations with cardiovascular risk factors in Brazilian public schools

Mo-P1:94 Weight at birth and correlations with cardiovascular risk factors in Brazilian public schools

The Authoring of Institutional Practices: Discourse and Modes of Participation of Subjects

In this text I consider authoring as a historically instituted and instituting social practice. The concept of author(ship)—as a social function concerning the action and identification of specific subjects in institutional places—is discussed in relation to authority (power position) and authorization ((dis)empowering position). I highlight Foucault’s and Bakhtin’s most relevant theoretical contributions to the issue, inquiring about the concrete possibilities and conditions of such practice. Within the scope of an empirical research developed with a group of students in a Brazilian public school, attention is drawn to the graduation ceremony as a commonplace within the school scenario. I focus my analyses on discursive practices, highlighting two speeches uttered at the ceremony as particular instances of authorship, and relate them to two students’ informal talk. The analyses point to the interplay of voices and positions in an intricate web of interpersonal relationships interwoven with/in and marked by the institutional loci.

Creating educator communities

In the Brazilian public school system, teachers have little time to keep up-to-date. To reinvigorate the school system, the government has formulated a continuing education project, with long-distance courses for teachers and the creation of educator communities to provide ongoing support. This paper describes strategies pursued to jumpstart the educator community within this continuing education project.

A reestruturação do trabalho docente: precarização e flexibilização

O artigo pretende discutir as atuais condições de trabalho dos docentes de escolas públicas brasileiras, tendo como referência resultados de pesquisas empíricas e revisão bibliográfica que demonstram um contexto de reestruturação do trabalho pedagógico. Parte-se da premissa de que com a reestruturação produtiva assistida de forma mais ostensiva nas duas últimas décadas, novas demandas têm sido apresentadas à educação escolar com relação aos seus objetivos, refletindo em mudanças nas formas de gestão e organização do trabalho na escola. Tais mudanças trazidas pelas reformas educacionais mais recentes têm resultado em intensificação do trabalho docente, ampliação do seu raio de ação e, conseqüentemente, em maiores desgastes e insatisfação por parte desses trabalhadores. O texto pretende, ainda, discutir como tais mudanças interferem no que se entende como processo de flexibilização e precarização do trabalho docente à luz das teses da desprofissionalização e proletarização.

Contraceptive use among adolescents at public schools in Brazil

There has been a growing interest in patterns of contraceptive use among adolescents, due, in particular, to the social relevance attached to pregnancy in this age group. Therefore, the objective of the study was to investigate factors associated with the use of contraceptive methods among female and male adolescent students. A cross-sectional study was conducted, by means of self-applied questionnaires, among 4,774 students ranging from 11 to 19 years of age. Prevalence with respect to the use of contraceptive methods during the first experience of sexual intercourse as well as the most recent one was calculated both separately, that is, for each of these events, and in conjunction as a measure of consistent use. Logistic regression was carried out for simultaneous analysis of factors associated with the use of contraceptive methods and in order to calculate adjusted measures. Among the 1,664 students who reported being sexually active, the factors positively associated with the consistent use of contraceptive methods among male students included a) postponing their first experience of sexual intercourse and interaction with a stable partner, b) the family as a potential supplier of contraceptive methods, and c) access to health services. On the other hand, among female students factors positively associated with the consistent use of contraceptive methods included a) recent sexual initiation, and b) having a father as their source of information regarding sexuality, contraception and STD/AIDS prevention. Pregnancy was reported by 6.4% of the boys and 18.1% of the girls, its absence was associated with the consistent use of contraceptives by them (the girls) (Odds Ratio=3.83; 2.06-7.15). The results confirm the complexity of determining contraceptive behavior among adolescents and therefore reinforce the need to include multi-dimensional aspects of this theme in order to ensure the efficacy of sex education programs.

Educação integral: uma nova identidade para a escola brasileira?

A escola fundamental pública brasileira vive um momento de perda de identidade cultural e pedagógica. A ampliação desordenada de suas tarefas, bem como as recentes políticas oficiais, tais como programas bolsa-escola, novos critérios de progressão escolar, inclusão no currículo de temas ligados à saúde, à ética e à cultura, parecem delinear uma realidade em que as necessidades sócio-integradoras assumem posição primordial no cotidiano escolar. O quadro nos leva a revisitar a concepção de educação integral, em sua vertente pragmatista. Destacamos nos trabalhos de Dewey e Habermas fundamentos filosóficos à formulação de uma concepção de instituição escolar que possa contribuir com a construção de uma nova identidade para a escola fundamental, respondendo ao desafio democrático hoje posto à sociedade brasileira.

Adolescents exposed to physical violence in the community: a survey in Brazilian public schools.

To determine the proportion of adolescents who have been exposed to physical violence in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Fifty-two Porto Alegre public schools that offer basic primary education (grades 1 to 8) were selected through a random sampling process stratified according to school size. In May-November 2000 a screening survey that identifies exposure to violence--experienced personally, witnessed, or knowing victims of violent acts--was administered to all students who were attending a randomly selected 8th grade class in each of the 52 schools. The total number of adolescents included in the analysis was 1,193, representing 10.3% of the students enrolled in 8th grade classes in the city's public school system. On average, each adolescent had been exposed to 19.8 incidents of violence (standard deviation (SD) = 8.5): 2.0 incidents personally experienced (SD = 2.1), 8.5 incidents witnessed (SD = 4.0), and 9.3 knowing a victim of an incident of violence (SD = 4.1). In our sample, the variables of being male (P < 0.0001), being in an older age group (P < 0.001), and not living with both parents (P < 0.001) were independently associated with exposure to more incidents of violence. We found a high prevalence of incidents of violence among the adolescents in our sample in Porto Alegre. Considering the particular burden inflicted by violent acts on adolescents, health professionals must develop effective approaches to activity identifying, intervening in, and preventing community violence.

Developmental norms for the Gardner Steadiness Test and the Purdue Pegboard: a study with children of a metropolitan school in Brazil.

Norms for the Gardner Steadiness Test and the Purdue Pegboard were developed for the neuropsychological assessment of children in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro. A computer-generated unbiased sample of 346 children with a mean age of 9.4 years (SD = 2.76), who were attending a large normal public school in this urban area, was the subject of this study. Two boys were removed from the study, one for refusing to participate and the other due to severe strabismus. Therefore, the final sample contained 344 children (173 boys and 171 girls). Sex and age of the child and hand preferred for writing, but not ethnic membership or social class, had significant effects on performance in the Gardner Steadiness Test and the Purdue Pegboard. Girls outperformed boys. Older children performed better than younger children. However, the predictive relationship between age of the child and neuropsychological performance included linear and curvilinear components. Comparison of the present results to data gathered in the United States revealed that the performance of this group of Brazilian children is equivalent to that of US children after Bonferroni's correction of the alpha level of significance. It is concluded that sex and age of the child and hand preferred for writing should be taken into account when using the normative data for the two instruments evaluated in the present study. Furthermore, the relevance of neurobehavioral antidotes for the obliteration of some of the probable neuropsychological effects of cultural deprivation in Brazilian public school children is hypothesized.

Saúde, trabalho e processos de subjetivação nas escolas

Neste artigo se discute o conceito de subjetividade utilizado nas práticas de saúde. Parte-se da tese de que a concepção de subjetividade predominante no pensamento dos trabalhadores no campo da saúde não está em sintonia com valores e pressupostos de renovação de conceitos e práticas, neste âmbito, na atualidade. Defende-se o caráter processual e coletivo dos processos de produção de subjetividade, contra o caráter individualista, apriorístico e objetificado prevalente nas práticas em psicologia e campos afins. Desdobra-se desta reflexão a defesa das transformações dessas práticas tendo como norte as articulações entre gestão no trabalho e processos de subjetivação, com base nos pressupostos teórico-filosóficos da obra de M. Foucault e na ergologia de linhagem francesa. Nessa direção de análise, afirma-se a importância de se pesquisar as articulações entre organização do trabalho, produção de saúde-doença e processos de subjetivação em curso. O foco das análises é a escola pública.

Peer Acceptance and Cognitive Development

To verify whether development of cognitive skills and peer acceptance are necessarily linked, 212 students of low socioeconomic status in the first, second, and third grades of a public school in Brazil were studied. A sociometric evaluation of peer group acceptance in play and study situations was conducted. The cognitive tasks were the mental imaging and conservation of mass and length (operative casks) as well as location of dice and equidistancing arrangements (creation of possibilities tasks). Analysis showed the children identified as desirable study companions had highly developed general cognitive abilities, and those chosen as desirable for both study and play not only had highly developed general cognitive abilities but also highly developed operativeness. Children who were socially isolated, however, had even higher mean cognitive assessment score in relation to both creation of possibilities and general cognitive development than did those with ratings of negative or positive salience.

Developmental norms for eight instruments used in the neuropsychological assessment of children: studies in Brazil.

Norms for a battery of instruments, including Denckla's and Garfield's tests of Motor Persistence, Benton's Right-Left Discrimination, two recall modalities (Immediate and Delayed) of the Bender Test, Wechsler's Digit Span, the Color Span Test and the Human Figure Drawing Test, were developed for the neuropsychological assessment of children in the greater Rio de Janeiro area. Additionally, the behavior of each child was assessed with the Composite Teacher Rating Scale (Brito GNO and Pinto RCA (1991) Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 13: 417-418). A total of 398 children (199 boys and 199 girls balanced for age) with a mean age of 9.3 years (SD = 2.8), who were attending a public school in Niterói, were the subjects of this study. Gender and age had significant effects on performance which depended on the instrument. Nonachievers performed worse than achievers in most neuropsychological tests. Comparison of our data to the available counterparts in the United States revealed that American children outperformed Brazilian children on the Right-Left Discrimination, Forward Digit Span, Color Span and Human Figure Drawing Tests. Further analysis showed that the neurobehavioral data consist of different factorial dimensions, including Human Body Representation, Motor Persistence of the Legs, Orbito-Orobuccal Motor Persistence, Attention-Memory, Visuospatial Memory, Neuropsychomotor Speed, Hyperactivity-Inattention, and Anxiety-Negative Socialization. We conclude that gender and age should be taken into account when using the normative data for most of the instruments studied in the present report. Furthermore, we stress the need for major changes in the Brazilian public school system in order to foster the development of secondary cognitive abilities in our children.

Causes and Consequences of Grade Repetition: Evidence from Brazil

Even though the problem of grade repetition is high on the policy agenda of virtually every developing country, extremely little is known about either the causes or the educational effects of repetition. The general concern about grade repetition derives from the budgetary and social implications of having large numbers of repeaters taking up scarce positions in schools. This concern notwithstanding, fundamental disagreements about the nature of the problem have clearly inhibited the development of sensible policies. This research, relying on unique panel data for students in northeast Brazil, considers how the schooling system and individual students interact in determining enrollment patterns in primary schools. This investigation into underlying student and school behavior lays the groundwork for analysis of alternative policies. Discussions of repetition are often subsumed in larger discussions of "wastage"-the combination of repetition and dropout rates.' This combination is unfortunate in many ways because the two phenomena are quite different in both their causes and their consequences. Nevertheless, they tend to be intertwined both in the data and estimation and in the policy debate. Indeed, the combination of high dropout and repetition rates has been identified as one of the main failures of the Brazilian education system, in part because the rates appear above those in other countries. A brief review of the available data and more general issues sets the stage for the analysis of grade repetition. Reflecting the low level of information about the issues, disagreement arises immediately about the magnitude and form of the wastage problem. Commonly available and cited data reveal important discrepancies even among estimates of the level of aggregate wastage and its

Cooperativa-escola nas Escolas Técnicas Agrícolas

A dificuldade de gerenciar recursos e proporcionar melhores condições de ensino para os estudantes são algumas das deficiência das Escolas Técnicas Agrícolas (ETAs) brasileiras, problemas parcialmente superados por algumas escolas que adotaram a chamada Cooperativa-Escola. Neste trabalho, procura-se discutir alguns aspectos filosóficos referentes às ETAs e como a Cooperativa-Escola pode ajudar a solucionar seus principais problemas educativos e administrativos; um estudo de caso utilizando-se a técnica de auditoria administrativa foi desenvolvido numa ETA cuja Cooperativa-Escola é considerada um modelo de bom funcionamento e alguns procedimentos foram descritos, objetivando-se estender a prática de Cooperativa-Escola para outras escolas técnicas agrícolas brasileiras.

Validation of the Teacher's Assessment of Students' Aptitudes Form—Tasaf

For a sample of 100 girls and a sample of 120 boys of lower middle-class backgrounds from the standpoint of parental occupation, who were enrolled in eighth grade classes of a Brazilian public school in Rio de Janeiro, the validity coefficient of ratings by teachers of the standings of their students on each of 11 aptitude factors on the Teacher's Assessment of Students' Aptitudes Form (TASAF) was determined relative to criterion scores (unknown to the teachers) of students on each of 11 corresponding aptitude factors in a standardized test of differential aptitudes, known as the Battery of Tests of Differential Aptitudes (BTAD). Twenty-three of the 24 possible G indices of agreement were statistically significant beyond the .05 level. It was concluded that teachers for the most part were able to assess their students' aptitudes through use of the TASAF—a procedure saving considerable time and cost in relation to the requirements of the administration of standardized tests.