Trabalho docente e envelhecimento : um estudo sobre professoras e gestoras do ensino médio de um município do interior do estado do Maranhão.

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the effects of aging on the teaching work of high school teachers nearing the end of their careers in Basic Education in a municipality in the interior of the state of Maranhão, according to their perceptions. The main objective was to describe and analyze how high school teachers in a municipality in the interior of Maranhão, who are nearing the end of their careers, understand the issue of aging, specifically regarding its effects on their work. The specific objectives were as follows: to describe the meanings attributed by the teachers to the relationship between work and aging; to understand and analyze the workload from the perspective of high school teachers approaching retirement; to describe and analyze the forms of engagement and disengagement developed by teachers at the end of their careers. The research is based on studies addressing aging (Doll et. all; Doll, Ramos, Buaes; Fontoura, Doll, Oliveira); work intensification, workload, and overload (Dal Rosso; Antunes; sexual division of labor (Kergoat) and its implications in teaching (Viegas). The methodology was qualitative, with descriptive characteristics, and divided into bibliographic research and fieldwork through semi-structured interviews. The results were organized into five main categories of analysis: workload and overload, aging and coping mechanisms in teaching, engagement and disengagement of teachers nearing retirement, knowledge that helps in dealing with aging, and recognition and motivation for work. The analysis reveals that all interviewed teachers acknowledge some form of effect on their work caused by aging, usually reflected in a reduced capacity to handle tasks with the same intensity. The study also highlights the forms of engagement and disengagement in the work of these teachers nearing retirement, showing that they seek ways to remain active in their work. It points out how the teachers perceive recognition at work and its importance in promoting positive aging in the workplace. The teachers also emphasize the value of accumulated knowledge throughout their careers, demonstrating that it helps them cope with the limitations brought about by aging. The study concludes that educational policies need to include actions addressing the aging process of teachers and create conditions for better preparation for the final stage of their professional careers.