The professional insertion of graduates from a degree in computing and the challenges to retention in the teaching career

Abstract

This article is part of a doctoral research project conducted between 2018-2022, which aimed to analyze the professional insertion trajectories of graduates from teacher education programs for Professional and Technological Education (PTE). Focusing on the Computer Science Teacher Education degree program, this paper presents a subset of the findings from that research, with the objective of analyzing and understanding the conditions under which these professionals enter the teaching profession, while also exploring related aspects such as available occupations, challenges, and perceptions associated with this process. The study adopted a qualitative and descriptive approach and, regarding the findings presented here, involved the participation of five graduates from the aforementioned program. Research data were generated from information collected through a questionnaire containing both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The theoretical framework was based on studies investigating graduates of teacher education programs, teacher education and the teaching profession in Professional and Technological Education (PTE), and Computer Science Teacher Education programs. The findings reveal specific challenges and limitations in the professional insertion process of Computer Science teacher graduates. Among these are the low expectations regarding long-term permanence in the teaching profession, due to the limited availability of teaching positions, as well as the prevailing practice of hiring bachelor's degree holders and/or technical professionals from the field in place of licensed teachers specifically trained to work in Professional and Technological Education. The results highlight the need for the implementation of a comprehensive set of policies aimed at teacher education, professional recognition, and regulation of the teaching profession in Brazil. These policies include improving teacher salaries, strengthening teaching career structures, ensuring more dignified working conditions, and, in the specific context of Professional and Technological Education, regulating professional practice in ways that promote the professional insertion of graduates from teacher education programs into this educational modality.