Entre diretrizes legais e condições concretas: a formação continuada de professores para a educação inclusiva no município de São João do Caru – MA

Abstract

The effective implementation of inclusive education depends on continuing professional development policies capable of addressing the specificities of diverse educational contexts. In municipalities characterized by structural vulnerabilities and a significant presence of rural multigrade schools, such as São João do Caru, Maranhão, Brazil, challenges persist that widen the gap between legal frameworks and the professional development practices implemented in everyday school settings. In this context, this dissertation aimed to analyze teachers' continuing professional development for inclusive education in this municipality, identifying its limitations, challenges, and possibilities to support the development of a municipal teacher professional development policy aligned with the principles of inclusive education. This qualitative study adopted a bibliographic and documentary research approach, based on the analysis of legislation, educational public policies, and official documents at the federal, state, and municipal levels, with particular emphasis on the Municipal Education Plan of São João do Caru. The documentary corpus was analyzed through content analysis, enabling the development of analytical categories related to teacher professional development, conceptions of inclusion, and territorial specificities. The findings revealed discontinuity and fragmentation in professional development initiatives, characterized by insufficient alignment with local demands and by the insufficient consideration of the specificities of urban graded schools and rural multigrade schools. This context contributes to the persistence of pedagogical, institutional, and attitudinal barriers that hinder the consolidation of inclusive educational practices. The study found that the absence of a structured municipal policy for teachers' continuing professional development compromises teachers' professional growth and limits the realization of the right to inclusive education. As its technical-technological product, the research presents a continuing professional development plan designed to support the Municipal Department of Education in organizing ongoing, contextualized, and locally responsive professional development processes. By highlighting the limitations of existing professional development policies and proposing guidelines tailored to local needs, the study contributes to strengthening educational management, teaching practice, and the formulation of educational public policies committed to equity and the effective implementation of inclusive education in rural and socially vulnerable contexts