The Structure of Students’ Parents’ Social Representations of Teachers

Teachers, among others, are responsible for improving the quality of education. In order to understand the teacher’s professional role within the context of contemporary society, one must analyze the impacts of political, economic, social and cultural problems on education. The present study’s objective is to identify and discuss the social representations made by students’ parents/guardians in relation to being a teacher nowadays. The study enjoyed the participation of 181 parents/guardians of elementary school students from the city of Mossoró/RN. They responded to the TALP after being presented with the stimulus phrase being a teacher today. Prototypical analysis (EVOC), analysis of similarity (IRAMUTEQ) and thematic analysis of content were performed. The terms most frequently evoked were patience, educator, love, and teach. The parents/guardians’ social representations have a multidimensional character that is structured into two main: one involving an image of the teacher that is rooted in the notion of a vocation; and the other, in the professional as an educator. The thematic analysis also indicated a representation of teachers that is related to a work context involved challenges, precarious working conditions, social disfavor and violence. One thus observes a twofold representation of the teacher, as an individual with a vocation and as a professional, an employee of the educational system, a fact that could be related to the low attractiveness of a career in teaching.