Trabalho docente e trabalho doméstico : a sobrecarga de mães professoras que atuam na educação infantil no município de Caldas Novas, Goiás.

Abstract

This dissertation aims to describe and analyze the aspects that characterize the teaching and domestic work of mothers who work in early childhood education in the municipality of Caldas Novas, Goiás. The specific objectives are: to understand how teachers organize their caregiving routines and how this impacts their work-life balance; to describe the activities that create overload in teachers' daily lives; and to analyze how teaching relates to the invisible, unpaid work performed within the family. Using a qualitative approach, the research involved five mothers who are teachers in the municipal school system, selected for their tenure and for having children up to 12 years old. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. The results show that overload is multidimensional. At work, teachers face long hours, excessive bureaucracy, and insufficient time for planning, which forces them to extend their work into the domestic sphere. At home, the responsibility for childcare and household chores falls predominantly to women. This interconnection between schoolwork and homework, which encroach on rest and self-care time, generates physical and mental overload, anguish, guilt, and a constant sense of failure. This overload is even more intense due to the invisibility and naturalization of care work, seen as a female obligation, devaluing it in both the public and private spheres. We suggest implementing public policies that aim to reduce bureaucratic burdens, increase planning time at school, and strengthen professional support, in addition to promoting an equitable division of caregiving responsibilities, aiming for the well-being and appreciation of female teachers.