Resenha do Trabalho Docente: Formação e Identidades, por Álvaro Moreira Hypolito et al. (Orgs.)

Abstract

In Trabalho Docente: Formacao e Identidades, Alvaro Hypolito and his collaborators provide vivid insights into the teaching profession through their presentation of theories, perspectives, and case studies that not only provide the reader with glimpses into the teaching profession, but also question the existing structures in education, examine how those structures affect teacher training and teacher's ability to effectively educate children. The contributing authors present historical, sociological, political and cultural perspectives that raise contradictions inherent in the "liberal" concepts of rationality and show how over time, these concepts have led to a diminished view of women teachers as professionals. It analyzes the dynamics of race, ethnicity and gender from the perspective of feminization of the profession and discusses the political implications of conservative reforms on the teaching profession. The unifying premise of the book is that political economic, and sociological forces have impacted how teachers view themselves in the larger context. If the autonomy of the teaching profession is to be strengthened, teachers given more decision-making power over the pedagogical process, and the needs of a global society met, those within the field must become more critical and challenge the existing neoliberal structure