Saúde e adoecimento de professores de Ciências e Matemática da rede municipal de Educação de Uberaba

Abstract

Professional illness is a reality in a system and society organized around the maintenance of Neoliberalism. Professional identity is permeated by the values of the performance-driven society and ends up influencing the health of the worker. This is no different for teachers, who must align themselves with the established and socially shared performance standards. Behind the notion of teaching autonomy, teachers face pressures, even from themselves, to achieve unattainable performance standards. In the process of trying to balance prescribed work and actual work, teachers end up suffering and, eventually, may fall ill due to their profession. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the working conditions and the illness of teachers have been brought to the forefront. Therefore, this research aims to characterize the health profile and illness of Science and Mathematics teachers in the Municipal Education of Uberaba. The theoretical foundation for this study is based on Dejours' Psychodynamics of Work and Ball's Performativity. This investigation is qualitative, with data collection carried out through narrative interviews, conducted with Science and Mathematics teachers from the municipal education of Uberaba. The results indicate that teachers are facing illness and are concerned about their health, leading to the emergence of several categories. This research allows us to understand the need for public policies to address teacher illness.