Comportamentos agressivos na educação infantil: contribuições winnicottianas

Abstract

The goal of this dissertation was to investigate the ideas and strategies for handling aggressive behaviors used in early childhood education. To achieve this purpose, this research is divided into two empirical studies (Study 1 and Study 2), of a qualitative and cross-sectional nature. Fifteen early childhood education professionals from 4 Brazilian states participated in this research. For data collection, semi-structured interviews were used, which lasted from 40 to 80 minutes, being carried out remotely, using the Google Meet meeting platform. The data was analyzed according to the thematic analysis strategy of Braun and Clark (2006) and discussed according to the contributions of school psychology and Winnicottian psychoanalysis. Study 1 sought to understand the conceptions of professionals involved in early childhood education in relation to the aggressive behavior of children in the school context. The professionals interviewed pointed out aggressiveness as a way of solving problems among children and as a form of communication, a tendency to be eradicated. Regarding the origins of aggressive behavior, internal factors (adverse experiences lived at school and adaptation to the school context) and external factors (family relationships, constitutional factors and socioeconomic issues) to the school institution were pointed out, with external factors being mentioned more frequently. It is understood that these notions can hinder the process of building creative forms of management for the manifestations of aggressive behavior, as they locate their causes in environments outside the school institution. Study 2 had as its goal to investigate the aggressive behavior management strategies used by professionals in early childhood education. The results point to the importance not only of the management practices themselves, but also the maintenance of the affective-emotional environment of the teacher-student relationship, supported by an attitude of respect and acceptance by professionals in moments of intervention on aggressive behavior. The emotional exhaustion created by situations of the children’s aggressiveness was also highlighted, as well as the role of the school institution in the strategies for handling aggressive behavior. This research demonstrates the complexity involved in the management episodes of these behaviors in children and highlights the importance of the involvement of several spheres and sectors for an adequate management.