A look at the baby as an active subject in the daycare context: development, learning and teacher training

Abstract

This work is part of a doctoral research project and aims to analyze the impacts of a training proposal aimed at teachers who work with babies, focusing on their perceptions of their own knowledge about integral child development, as well as their understanding of the contributions of contemporary research related to baby knowledge. Method: This is a qualitative, exploratory study carried out in four early childhood education schools in a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Eight education professionals (four pedagogical coordinators and four teachers) participated in the study, as well as 32 babies distributed in four nursery I classes. The methodological instruments used were: (1) a sociodemographic questionnaire and a questionnaire on professional experience with babies; (2) semi-structured interviews with professionals working in daycare centers; (3) non-participant observations in four nursery I classes in the respective schools; and (4) a focus group. The interviews were recorded and transcribed in full, while the observations were recorded in a field diary. Thirteen professionals participated in the training; and 12 professionals participated in the focus group. After the proposed training, previously addressed issues were revisited, with the aim of identifying possible changes in the participants’ perceptions of babies. Data analysis followed the assumptions of content analysis, as outlined by Bardin. Results: The results addressed the teachers’ perceptions of their own knowledge about babies, regarding developmental milestones, authors, and researchers on this topic, babies’ knowledge and lack of knowledge, communication, and play. A positive impact was observed in the perception of professionals after the training, who described babies as more communicative, having a multimodal language and intentionality in their relationships with others and with objects. Conclusion: The study demonstrates a change in the way professionals view babies, which will impact on the relationship they establish with them, and the quality of the environment they offer in educational spaces. The relevance of training spaces for these professionals is highlighted, both in the scope of initial training and in the scope of ongoing training.