Training and professional performance of psychopedagogist in municipalities in the Southern of Brazil

Abstract

This study displays a part of the doctoral thesis named “O psicopedagogo na rede pública municipal em sete estados brasileiros: cenários e desafios” (Psychopedagogists in the municipal education system in seven Brazilian states: settings and possibilities). In this article we present data referring to psychopedagogists working at the municipal education system in three states in the south region of Brazil. The aim was to map out the psychopedagogical service offered in municipal education networks in the south of Brazil, as well as to investigate the psychopedagogists’ professional education. The methodology used was qualitative research, with a descriptive approach. For the data collection we sent a questionnaire to 1,191 towns belonging to the three states. It has been shown that in 386 towns there are psychopedagogists working in educational areas, in a variation of 1 to 10 professionals in each town, which makes up a total of 559 psychopedagogists acting in the field. The research revealed that 464 of these professionals have majored in Pedagogy. Regarding education at a post-graduation level, it was noted that 240 psychopedagogists graduated in a Psychopedagogy specialization course, thus fulfilling the requirements proposed by the ABPp – Associação Brasileira de Psicopedagogia (Brazilian Association of Psychopedagogy). Another 183 psychopedagogists learned it at an institutional level, and one at the clinical level; this shows that a significant part of the psychopedagogists have a fragmented education in the area. Furthermore, 97 professionals working as psychopedagogists have had different educational experiences, which are not nationally recognized as a psychopedagogist’s field of education. It was also concluded that there is a need for new competitions and hiring of psychopedagogists, as well as a need for the regulation of the profession nationwide.