Atuação do psicólogo escolar no acompanhamento a ações coletivas da escola: um estudo na rede pública municipal de educação de João Pessoa - PB

Abstract

The school is a social context where psychosocial processes and intergroup relations unfold. In this sense, the psychology professional within the educational sphere, by articulating knowledge from both social psychology and school psychology, can develop transformative practices with the institution's actors. Such interventions must consider historical and social factors and contribute to the development of more conscious individuals, fostering critical, ethical thinking and the construction of relationships that promote human development. This study understands School Psychology as a field closely connected to community social psychology. Therefore, the practices of this professional must involve the institutional collective, grounded in a psychosocial, critical, and preventive perspective. Based on the principles of historical-cultural psychology, particularly those developed by Vygotsky, it is possible to understand the importance of individuals' interaction with their social and cultural environment for knowledge production and integral development. Furthermore, drawing from the work of Martín-Baró and Paulo Freire, the study advocates for practices that regard the participation of the school collective as essential to a critical and socially committed approach, aiming to transform both consciousness and reality. Thus, the school psychologist mediates relationships and engages in mutual exchanges across the various segments of the school. This doctoral research aimed to analyze the work of school psychologists in institutional pedagogical meetings (pedagogical planning, class council, parent-teacher meetings, and departmental meetings) in municipal public schools in João Pessoa-PB. It is a qualitative field study conducted in two stages. In the first stage, 62 professionals responded to a digital questionnaire—57 female and 5 male participants, aged between 29 and 69 years. The results revealed a variety of theoretical foundations adopted by the participating professionals. Although some of the authors and perspectives guiding their practices diverge from those aligned with school demands, most postgraduate programs were found to engage with the field of school psychology. The study also identified school psychologists' participation in the investigated meetings and in other types of collective gatherings, either with external institutions or arising from the school community's needs. These professionals participated in all types of meetings, contributing from the planning stage through to implementation and follow-up actions stemming from their involvement. In the second stage, participant observations were conducted with two school psychologists during pedagogical meetings. Field diaries documented their participation in each type of meeting, the strategies and tools used in their interventions, and their dialogue with different actors and sectors within the schools. It was observed that active participation in these meetings, the relationships built in these spaces, the strategies employed, and the ways in which discussions and collective decisions were mediated helped to evidence the psychologist’s role in the school setting. Additionally, this contributed to expanding the professional’s work with other school groups through partnerships focused on the institutional context as a whole.