Condições de trabalho docente na educação especial no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (2008-2024)

Abstract

This doctoral thesis aims to analyze the working conditions of Special Education teachers in Mato Grosso do Sul. The specific objectives include examining national policies for the initial training of Special Education teachers; investigating legislation related to the roles, organization, and services of teachers in this field; characterizing and mapping Special Education teachers in Mato Grosso do Sul, with a comparison of working conditions between permanent and temporary contract teachers; exploring teachers' conceptions and perceptions regarding their working conditions; and identifying the factors influencing these conditions, as well as the challenges impacting their quality of life. The guiding questions of this research are: What are the working conditions of Special Education teachers in Mato Grosso do Sul? How do teachers perceive their work? Which job-related responsibilities contribute to professional exhaustion? The study covers the period from 2008 to 2024, marked by the implementation of the National Policy on Special Education in an Inclusive Perspective (PNEEPEI, 2008) and the enactment of the Law for the Appreciation of Professionals in Public Basic Education. The research employs Historical-Dialectical Materialism (HDM) as its methodological framework, with a mixed-methods approach that integrates exploratory, bibliographic, documental, and survey strategies using a self-administered online questionnaire. The stratified probabilistic sample includes support professionals and teachers of Specialized Educational Services (AEE) working in the state’s public basic education system. Data collection also incorporates semi-structured interviews and a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The data analysis is conducted descriptively and analytically using the Jamovi software for statistical evaluations. The systematic review revealed that changes in the teaching landscape have significantly impacted professional practice, intensifying structural precarization. Results indicate that 88.4% of the 361 participating teachers are employed under temporary contracts, with women predominating in the field of Special Education. However, the research also highlights low ethnic-racial diversity, with limited representation of Indigenous, Black, and disabled teachers. Factors such as wage disparities, excessive workloads, insufficient planning time, and inadequate infrastructure were identified as key contributors to the precarization, intensification, and flexibilization of teaching work. Based on the findings, this thesis argues that Special Education teachers in Mato Grosso do Sul face intensified working conditions stemming from state management and specific responsibilities within the context of inclusive education. These conditions foster processes of alienation, proletarianization, flexibilization, and precarization.