[“Not that Black woman!” The political and pedagogical practice of a black female teacher at a municipal school of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. A case study

Abstract

An ethnographical case study undertaken in the Municipal School System of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, with the purpose of understanding the political and pedagogical practice of a black female Physical Education teacher at a public school, considering the concepts, values, and attitudes constructed over her life story. The interest in the investigation lies in one author’s personal trajectory and in the epistemological curiosity of both authors regarding gender and ethnic relationships in Brazil. The choice of working with this collaborator was made through negotiating access to Municipal Secretariat of Education of Porto Alegre records. We specifically sought to work with someone with the following characteristics: a black female Physical Education teacher. The tools we used for collecting information were analysis of documents, observations that were recorded in a field diary, and semi-structured interview. Analytical categories of analysis emerged from the field, i.e., the information collected was grouped i signification units and then organized into analytical categories that would allow deep reflection on the theme. Inspired in the discourse analysis, our analytical process demonstrated that the collaborator teacher’s political and pedagogical practice was strongly influenced by the interpersonal relationships that she has established during her early school years and initial professional training.