Educação a distância e formação de professores: um olhar sobre a inserção institucional da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia

Abstract

This research aims at analyzing the extent of the participation of UFU (Universidade Federal de Uberlândia), within the State policies for the educational reformation being implemented since the 1990s, in Distance Learning programs to graduate and improve teachers. With the research we attempt to theoretically identify: (1) the real sense of such educational reformation and the relationship between the reformation and the current reorganization of the State affairs Popkewitz (1997; 1998), Sacristán (1996) and Silva Jr. (2002); (2) the international and national trends for education Lima (2004), Marques (2002), and Tommasi (1998); (3) the changes in College Education and the graduation of teachers in Brazil Georgen (2002), Ristoff (1999), Santos (1994; 2004), and Sobrinho (2004); (4) the characteristics of actions in general that lead to graduate teachers and those related to the Distance Education Graduation/ Improvement of teachers in Brazil, since the advent of the new law for Policies and Basics in the National Education/LDB nº 9394/96 Pretto (1999), Saraiva (1996) and Silva Jr. (2003); (5) the characteristics of actions of Distance Education Graduation/ Improvement of teachers in the State of Minas Gerais, giving emphasis to the PROCAP (Phase of the Escola Sagarana Policy, whcih stands for Teachers Improvement Program) and the project VEREDAS (College Teachers Graduation) Marques (2000; 2001) and Mattos & Perez (2001); (6) finally, the perceptions of UFU managers related to those Graduation/ Improvement programs for teachers concerning institutional policies and actions, and their expectation over distance education. The analysis of documents comprehended legal documents and programs, and aimed at checking their political policies and their relation with the University. The fieldwork was done with partially-structured interviews as a data-collecting methodology. The interviewed managers involved in the PROCAP and the VEREDAS were: UFU Rector, two UFU Pro-Rectors (Extension, Culture and Students Affairs), a UFU Extension Director, and three UFU Academic Coordinators. To conclude, we detach three aspects clearly emphasized by the interviewees: the University has made an effort to participate in those programs, despite the heavy criticism of some managers. They discuss over the program managing institutional locus and the autonomy of the university in relation to projects of such nature. So, we understand there are paradoxes and challenges within the Institution concerning the Distance Education in the graduation of teachers, which suggest more institutional space for debates, studies and researches involving all segments of the university.