Ofício, Estresse e Resiliência: desafios do Professor Universitário.

The objective of this study was to investigate the elements that contribute to the state of stress which often affects those who embrace the university teaching career, and also to learn whatever strategies professors use to cope with stressing situations in order to develop resilience and a sound exercise of their profession. To the very nature of university teaching belong a variety of attributions, demands and challenges which, together, may contribute to the development of stress. The epistemological principles which guided this research were those of Complex Thinking, which facilitate a deeper comprehension of the human and social phenomena as viewed through the lens of complexity principles: the dialogical principle, the organizational recursivity principle and the hologramatical principle. Fully acknowledging the many difficulties brought about by any attempt that would try to explain human phenomena based only on one theoretical reference, we have elected multi-referentiality as the support for this study, thus being able to dialogue with a variety of authors about the same phenomenon. This was a qualitative research in which questionnaires and interviews were used as instruments for the empirical work. The data has been articulated into categories and subcategories, allowing for a thematic analysis. Participants of the study were seventeen professors from two different colleges in the city of Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte. Bad working conditions, demands from the institution, student s lack of commitment, long working hours, low salaries, lack of incentives to university teachers, uncertainty concerning timetable and difficulties in proper time administration are the variables that contribute to the stress of professors. Although this is a problem that affects the group as a whole, strategies to cope with it are individually sought and vary from trying to find different leisure options, opening one s heart to colleagues or relatives, individual planning, prayer, rational facing of the situation, to simply giving in to exhaustion. The study has proposed institutional as well as personal actions that may foster a development among professors which takes into account a resilience development in a collective perspective. Also, it shows some articulations that are already under way so that professors may be attended to.

O desenvolvimento da docência nas engenharias: um estudo na universidade federal de campina grande (UFCG)

This research has the objective of studying the teacher-engineers awareness regarding their teaching practice of courses Civil, Electrical and Materials at the Federal University of Campina Grande. It presents and analyses major themes concerning the teaching work. At the same time, it pinpoints the need to develop good teaching practice in higher education. The study is based on the concepts of bricolage (KINCHELOE; BERRY, 2007) and multi-referentiality (ARDOINO, 1998). The Case Study procedure was adopted as an investigation strategy (YIN, 2004; AFONSO, 2005). The data collection was done through the application of questionnaires based on the teacher education paradigms (ZEICHNER, 1983; SACRISTAN, 1998; ALTET, 2001; BRÜTTEN, 2008). The theoretical background for the thematic axis is oriented by reflections on university teaching (MASETTO, 2003; 2007; ZABALZA, 2004; CUNHA et al, 2005; GRILLO, 2008; PIMENTA; ANASTASIOU, 2010 ); on Engineering teaching (BAZZO, 2001; MASETTO, 2009) and on the present-day relationship between educational policies and higher education (MENEZES, 2001; SANTOS, 1995;2005; BOSI, 2007). The data analysis was done by means of a quantitative and qualitative approach (SAMPIERI; COLLADO; LUCIO, 2006), allow us to understand how the teachers surveyed live their professional activity. The results make it possible to generalize that the teacher-engineers give value to research as part of their teacher education and they view the university pedagogy as an important aspect to improve their practice. A considerable number of them is interested in being part of reflection groups, aiming to enhance teaching at higher education. The teacher-engineers dedicate themselves to university teaching without sharing their experience with other teachers, consolidating a present tendency seen in the international and national literature. They tend to apply a pedagogy originated from their daily teaching practice, because they believe that teaching is perfected through practice, though they admit that practice alone is not sufficient for professional development. In the view of most informants, good teaching requires willingness, along with the political element, the mastery of the lesson contents and familiarity with the discipline objectives, if we regard teachers as advisors in the educational process. Throughout the teaching process, the teachers use diversified pedagogical strategies, such as contextualization and exemplification of the lesson contents, epistemological basis in the scientific field, and group work. They do not share any bond of relationship between them and the students, though they consider it important. In general terms, they lack preparation for university teaching and no involvement or interest in institutional issues, by supporting and improving the teaching quality