Working Conditions and Organization of Teachers of Public Schools

This paper aims at analysing working conditions and organization of public basic school teachers in João Pessoa (PB). To do so we departed from a multidiciplinary approach: activity ergonomy and psycho-dynamics of working under a gender social relations viewpoint. Alongside this research we made use of activity observation and formed communities expanded search. In regard to the research participants, a group of forty professionals from three different schools collaborated with the investigation. When it comes to the analysis of the produced data, we observed that the main reason why theses professionals chose the educational workfield is deeply rooted in gender social relations and socio-economic conditions. We also verified certain discrepancies between the job description and the work actually done by theses professionals. However, it was noticed that despite the difficulties encountered in work situations, the teachers through the use of their sensitivity and creativity, develop various forms of regulation of the activity, giving new ways to work and inventing different ways to link to it