Organization and implementation of selecting textbooks process in basic education schools

Abstract

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14244/198271991210

This study addresses actions performed by basic education schools in the process of selecting textbooks in the National School Textbook Program (PNLD). The research subjects were teachers working in 10 public schools in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and the instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire. From the analysis of the information obtained, we have concluded that: (1) the schools organized at least one pedagogical meeting to select textbooks. This meeting was the only collective event in which teachers exchanged ideas and conceptions and reached a consensus about the works to be adopted; (2) in the studied context, we have not noticed any effective participation of the Departments of Education (SMED/SMA and 8ª CRE/SEDUC/RS) in providing the schools and teachers with guidelines for choosing the textbooks. The delivery of textbooks to schools by publishers is the major mobilizing factor in the process; (3) time available for this activity is insufficient and does not allow a careful analysis of the books; (4) teachers acknowledge the importance of their participation in the textbooks’ selection process, as the meetings organized for this purpose are regarded as a moment in which they show their ideas and opinions.

Keywords: PNLD, Textbook, Early grades of basic education.