Perceptions of education professionals: contribution to characteristics, dynamics and behaviors in school environment

Abstract

School acts as an important mirror of society, reflecting all the social transformations that are taking place. It is also a space where it is possible to use strategies in order to manage and minimize the constant difficulties of everyday life. At the same time, school environment is where the children occupy most of their time, either through participation in the distinct educational activities or in accomplishing other leisure activities. It is also the environment in which the cognitive, psychological and social capacities of young students are encouraged and improved in a structured and pedagogical way. Daily school life is characterized by a plurality of practices and dynamics that, frequently, disrupt the good school functioning, and may also have an important impact on the developmental pathways of children. Behaviours encompassing violence and indiscipline are easily identified as recurring practices in the daily life of different schools, leading to the breakdown of social bonding through the use of force and aggression. The results of a study conducted with educational agents, i.e., teachers and non-teachers, aiming to analyse the perception of these educational professionals about the characteristics, dynamics and behaviours inherent to the internal functioning of the school environment, will be presented, concluding with the main practical and preventive implications of this research.