Os desafios da desigualdade de aprendizagem: um estudo de caso em uma escola estadual do município de Juiz de Fora- MG

Abstract

This study investigates how school management can address the effects of learning inequality in a public state school in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, analyzing how the school community can mitigate the impacts of socioeconomic and cultural diversity on the teaching-learning process. The general objective of the research was to understand the intra-school factors that influence learning and to identify strategies that promote educational opportunities with equity and effectiveness, unfolding into the following specific objectives: to describe intra- and extra-school factors that affect students’ academic performance; to analyze the strategies adopted by the school community to support lower secondary students (final years of elementary education) with learning difficulties; and to propose an action plan aimed at improving educational outcomes. The theoretical framework is grounded in studies on learning inequality, student diversity, school effect, and effective schools, highlighting the role of managerial and pedagogical practices in heterogeneous contexts. This is a qualitative case study that combines document and literature analysis, interviews with school management and pedagogical coordination staff, and questionnaires administered to Portuguese and Mathematics teachers, with data analyzed using content analysis techniques (Bardin, 2011). The findings indicate that pedagogical actions are fragmented, with a predominantly individual use of assessment data, low family participation, challenges related to student engagement, and management overload, although collaborative practices and pedagogical monitoring initiatives are present. Based on these findings, an Educational Action Plan (EAP) is proposed, structured according to the 5W2H methodology, focusing on the systematization of assessment data use, teacher professional development, strengthening school-family relationships, and enhancing student engagement. It is concluded that promoting equity and school effectiveness depends on the development of an institutional culture guided by the systematic use of evidence and by the coordinated action of school stakeholders.