THE SCHOOL AS THE LOCUS OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

reflections on Elementary School teachers' perceptions

Abstract

This study aims at analyzing the advances and the mistakes of the policies on continuing education in Belém after the implementation of a project called Escola Cabana. Taking into consideration the perceptions expressed by twenty six teachers, I tried to understand the changes that took place in the teachers' practices and in the organizational culture of the school after the introduction of the school-centered education. The teachers mention that, despite the effort SEMEC put into a process that should split with traditional teacher education practices, the proposal maintains certain aspects of the traditional school model. I observed that there is a gap between the intentions listed in the documents and the everyday education practices, mainly regarding the modes of education and the control mechanisms used to regulate the project.