BEING A TEACHER TODAY: A STUDY IN THE LIGHT OF SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS

Abstract

Teachers play a central role in shaping citizenship, and today they face countless demands imposed by society. With the complexity of being a teacher today in mind, this article aims to analyze the social representations of being a teacher today, based on the social representations of being a teacher, of basic education teachers in the Metropolitan Region of Recife. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research is based on the Theory of Social Representations, with an emphasis on Jean-Claude Abric's structural approach. Data collection was based on the Free Word Association Technique (FWA), and analysis was conducted using the Iramuteq software, allowing the central core and peripheral system of social representations to be mapped. The results show that being a teacher is marked by ambivalence: symbolic appreciation of the profession, which is permeated by dedication and seen by some as a mission; and on the other hand, the perception of precariousness, devaluation and work overload. These representations reflect the tension between the ideal and the concrete conditions of teaching. The conclusion is that valuing the profession requires effective public policies and a broader debate on working conditions and the professional identity of teachers in Brazil.