Percepções e práticas de docentes dos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental sobre educação para a sexualidade

Abstract

This Final Undergraduate Project aimed to analyze the perceptions and practices of elementary school teachers regarding Sexuality Education, understanding how this topic is addressed in the classroom and what factors influence its implementation. For this purpose, a qualitative methodology was adopted, with an exploratory and descriptive nature, based on the application of a digital form (Google Forms) directed to teachers working in the city of Juiz de Fora/MG, from public and private institutions. The research was composed of 18 participants and included both objective and open questions, allowing for a rich collection of meanings and experiences. Data analysis was articulated with a theoretical review that addressed sexuality as a social, cultural, and political construct, highlighting authors such as Guacira Louro, Richard Miskolci, Jane Felipe, among others. The results show that, despite the recognition of the importance of Sexuality Education by teachers, there are a series of obstacles to its effective pedagogical application, such as gaps in initial and continuing education, fears of confrontation with families, religious and cultural pressures, in addition to the presence of conservative discourses that permeate the school routine. The research revealed that the approach to sexuality is still marked by silences and restrictions, often limited to a biologistic perspective, focused on risk prevention, to the detriment of a broader and more comprehensive understanding. It was also found that many teachers do not feel prepared to work with the topic, which reinforces the need for continuous training actions that contemplate ethical, affective, and social dimensions. It is concluded, therefore, that promoting a critical and inclusive Sexuality Education requires a paradigm shift in teacher training, in school spaces, including for management, coordination, and other school positions that affect the development of the teaching work, in addition to an institutional commitment to human rights, gender equity, and respect for diversity, contributing to the construction of a welcoming, democratic, and emancipatory school environment.