With the current scourge of HIV and AIDS among the youth in Sub-Saharan Africa, sexuality education has been hailed as the vaccine against new infections. This places teachers at the forefront of the pandemic as facilitators of knowledge. This study explores women teachers’ experiences of teaching sexuality education in rural schools in the age of HIV and AIDS. As a participant researcher, I have worked through photo-voice, drawings, memory work, and focus group discussions with eight Basotho women teachers, and explored how womanhood and teacher-hood shape and reshape each other in becoming a sexuality education woman teacher. I highlight the gender dynamics characteristic of rural communities and how they play out in the construction of sexuality discourses in relation to women teachers, and how such constructions create im/possibilities for women teachers’ facilitation of sexuality education. An eclectic theoretical approach, with an emphasis on feminist theories, informed the study. A qualitative research design employing a phenomenological narrative approach has been used. The findings show women teachers experiencing the teaching of sexuality education as a challenge. Their experiences are reflected as shaping and being shaped by their understandings regarding sexuality, and their positioning as women and teachers within rural communities. Challenges that create impossibilities for women teachers’ effective facilitation of sexuality education include the patriarchal gender order in Lesotho, cultural practices, teachers’ own sexualities and teachers’ fears of contravening the social constructions of good womanhood. I argue that Basotho women teachers are facing a challenge of negotiating the socially constructed contestations between normalised womanhood and teacher-hood and thus choose to perform the normalised womanhood at the expense of teacher-hood. The womanhood they perform shapes their teacher identity such that woman teacher-hood in sexuality education becomes ineffective. This study makes unique contributions to the field of sexuality education in particular and feminist scholarship in general. The methodological contribution lies in the use of visual methods to illuminate women teachers’ positioning in relation to sexuality education. While previous studies in sexuality education have been on pedagogy, this study presents a body of knowledge based on a gendered analysis of women teachers’ embodied experiences of teaching sexuality education and the meanings they make of their experiences. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

The study investigates the use of the Asifunde! materials by educators and learners in mother tongue literacy classes at two learning sites namely, Msunduzi and uMngeni Municipalities located in KwaZulu-Natal. The study focuses on the ways in which the Asifunde! Materials (learners' workbook, educators guide and easy readers) are used in the classroom. The study contributes to a gap in current literature on the use of materials by adult educators and learners. The study poses one critical question: "How do educators and learners in ABE classes use the Asifunde! materials?" This question is further elaborated into six subquestions: • Do educators mediate the content? If so, how? • How much time do educators spend on each section/page/unit? • To what extent do educators discuss the content and exercises with learners? • What is the learners' response (interest/extent of engagement/amount of discussion and enjoyment)? • How does the level of the material match the learners' needs? • How much communication is there between learners about the content of the material? Asifunde! materials were developed in response to call of the then Minister of Education Kader Asmal for a National Literacy Campaign in 1999. The Asifunde! material is a literacy course developed specifically for adults who have not had educational opportunities in the past. Its emphasis is on reading and writing mother tongue as well as on the implementation of these skills. The study is on literacy and literacy learning, which is understood here as the study of reading and writing processes that learners use as they engage in interpreting text Topics such as: literacy acquisition; purposes of literacy; the role of materials in acquisition of literacy; approaches to teaching reading and writing; and the educator as mediator of learning, are explored in the literature review as they are pertinent to the study. The study revealed that: 1. The use of the learner's book and the educator's guide varies between educators. 2. The educators do not fully understand the educational rationale behind the materials. 3. Learners respond positively to the materials. 4. There is very little use of the easy readers by both the educators and the learners. 5. Learners' learning and progress is largely influenced by the educator's use of the materials. 6. The learners are very excited about learning to read English now that they are competent in reading and writing their mother tongue. The study presents the following recommendations: 1. Training of educators in the use of the material. 2. The revision of the educator's guide to accommodate a range of educators in terms of experience and creativity. 3. Clarification of the focus and purpose of the materials regarding reading and writing. 4. Emphasis on the importance of the easy readers. 5. Inclusion of longer writing exercises towards the end of the book. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

This study was aimed at understanding how networking can enable or constrain professional development and institutionalisation of environmental education courses in southern Africa in the context of the Course Development Network (CDN), a project of the Southern Africa Development Community Regional Environmental Education Programme (SADC REEP). The study involved 12 institutions (each institution was represented in the CDN by a staff member) in eight SADC member states. It was contextualized through a review of social, political, environmental and educational developments in southern Africa, with specific reference to regionalization processes, as the SADC REEF is constituted under this post-colonial political framework. Relational philosophy informed the research process and methodology. The philosophy underpinned three distinct, yet related theoretical perspectives namely: critical realism, which provided the ontological perspectives of the study; Actor Network Theory; and Community of Practice, which provided the epistemological perspectives. Data was generated during a 33-month period in southern Africa and 12 months in the United Kingdom (and on a one week visit to Italy). During a 12 month Split Site Commonwealth Scholarship award, tenable at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom, I studied the Environment and School Initiative (ENSI) and the Sustainability Education for European Primary Schools (SEEPS), to examine whether the same mechanisms that made them successful would apply to the CDN in the context of southern Africa. While these two case studies provided useful insight into the relationship between networking, professional development and institutionalization of environmental education programmes, they were not the main focus of the research. Data analysis was mainly through inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference. Inductive data analysis was done by means of Nvivo – a computer software package used for qualitative data analysis. The software aided in revealing features and relationships in the data in more depth as it allowed flexibility in working with data. Abduction is the interpretation of a phenomenon by means of a conceptual framework. In this study, I used Actor Network Theory (ANT) (Latour & Woolgar, 1979; Callon, 1986) and Community of Practice (COP) (Lave, 1988; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Fullan, 2003) as analytical conceptual frameworks to probe networking and professional development respectively. Data on institutionalisation of environmental education courses was analysed by means of retroductive mode of inference, which is a thought operation that enables the understanding of social reality beyond what is empirically observable or experienced. This study reveals that there were a number of necessary (internal) and contingent (external) factors that enabled or constrained networking, professional development and institutionalisation of environmental education courses in the context of the CDN. The key factors included existing cultural capital, donor political economy, power relations, poverty related factors and social transformation trends. The study found that relational approaches and the use of three relational theoretical lenses provided a broader lens which enabled this study to identify different dynamics, greater ontological depth and understanding of the relational dynamics and relations at play in the CDN beyond the participants' experience and observable events. The study also contends that networking can provide a support structure for social transformation and change in environmental education.

Thesis submitted for the degree Master of Education in the Faculty of Education and Social Science at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / ‘Underpreparedness’ of students entering higher education is an issue that many academic institutions in South Africa are currently addressing. These students, who are referred to as ‘underprepared’, are more often than not black students. They are seen as disadvantaged, lacking the skills, knowledge and/or language proficiency to navigate their way to success in higher education. This study seeks to identify students’ understanding of the behaviours they should display in higher education and how this clashes with the expectations of academics. It examines how students try to engage with the institutional discourse and how they try to identify a ‘sense of being’. Qualitative research was used through the administration of essays that students were expected to write, as well as individual face-to-face interviews. The essays and interviews tried to gauge how students perceived themselves as Nature Conservation students. Lecturers were also interviewed so that a comparison could be made between what students perceive and the expectations of academics in higher education. Various themes were identified through the analysis of the student essays and interviews, by using an inductive approach. Through the development of these themes, the gap could be identified between students and lecturers.

Pensar o papel da família no contexto educacional de seus filhos torna-se temática fundamental diante das novas transformações na sociedade neste início do século XXI. O tema relação família e escola envolve um conjunto de atores e vem sendo discutido constantemente nas últimas décadas como um pilar fundamental para o processo educacional das crianças e jovens. A presente dissertação tem como tema de pesquisa a relação família e escola na Pedagogia da Alternância nas Casas Familiares Rurais de Candói e Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, ambas localizadas no Território Cantuquiriguaçu no Estado do Paraná. Realizou-se uma pesquisa social, de cunho qualitativo, tendo como instrumento de coleta de dados observações, visitas a propriedades e entrevistas. Analisou-se comparativamente as duas CFRs, como se processa a relação das famílias com as mesmas e com o processo de ensino aprendizagem de seus filhos. Entendeu-se que a participação da família na Pedagogia da Alternância além de constituir-se enquanto um pilar dessa metodologia também é intrínseca ao compartilhamento de saberes entre pais e filhos dentro do contexto social no qual estão inseridos. Os resultados da pesquisa indicam que as famílias necessitam de maiores incentivos e condições para poderem exercer seu direito à participação nas CFRs, pois as propriedades localizam-se em espaços rurais, muitas vezes, de difícil acesso e grande distância das Escolas. / Thinking about the role of the family in the educational context of his sons to become the face of new thematic fundamental changes in society in the XXI century. The theme about family and school involves a set of actors and has been discussed constantly in recent decades as a cornerstone to the educational process of children and youth. This dissertation is a research topic about family and school in the Pedagogy of Alternation in Rural Family Houses Candói of Iguaçu and Rio Bonito, both located in Macau Cantuquiriguaçu in Paraná State. We conducted a social survey, a qualitative, with the data collection instrument observations, interviews and visits to properties. We analyzed comparatively the two CFRs how is the relation of families with them and with the teaching-learning process of their children. It was understood that family participation in the Pedagogy of Alternation besides constituting itself as a pillar of this methodology is also intrinsic to sharing knowledge between parents and children within the social context to which they belong. It was noticed that families need greater incentives and requirements to exercise their right to participate in the CFRs, because the properties are located in rural areas, often difficult to access and long distance Schools.

O presente estudo teve como fio condutor a intenção de analisar as dinâmicas do recente processo de expansão da Educação Profissional e Tecnológica (EPT) considerando elementos de políticas públicas, inserção regional e formação profissional, a partir da percepção dos gestores, docentes e discentes dos Cursos do IFPR, Campus Avançado Coronel Vivida. O foco da pesquisa foi o IFPR, Campus Avançado Coronel Vivida, no período de 2011 a 2015. A política de EPT encontra-se sob constante tensão entre diferentes projetos de desenvolvimento e racionalidades em disputa, sendo que se percebe a importância de analisar como a recente expansão tem estabelecido relações com o desenvolvimento no contexto de abrangência regional. O referencial teórico apoia-se em pesquisadores que se dedicam a estudos sobre Educação e Trabalho; Educação e Desenvolvimento; Educação Profissional e Tecnológica, sendo que educação e trabalho são atividades exclusivas do ser humano, contudo, no sistema capitalista de produção, ambas são convertidas em mercadoria. Numa perspectiva emancipatória de educação e trabalho, a EPT deve incorporar, além do desenvolvimento das questões locais, uma visão de desenvolvimento caracterizado pela expansão das liberdades. Os aspectos metodológicos deste trabalho foram caracterizados a partir da pesquisa qualitativa, priorizando uma abordagem descritiva exploratória. A metodologia de investigação articulou levantamento bibliográfico e documental, construção de mapas conceituais, bem como a análise de conteúdo dos dados coletados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas individuais (Gestores e Docentes) e de grupo focal (Discentes). A análise de conteúdo foi realizada considerando-se as categorias previamente estabelecidas: Educação Profissional e Tecnológica, inserção regional e formação profissional. Estas categorias foram utilizadas para estabelecer aspectos evidenciados com características comuns em termos de convergências, divergências ou singularidades entre os elementos coletados. Diante disso, em termos de síntese, pôde-se perceber uma convergência quanto à concepção de que a EPT é uma política pública que incentivou a interiorização da educação profissional, incorporando uma formação humana, política, ética, para além da formação técnica. Além disso, que o IFPR mantém uma relação muito próxima com o desenvolvimento regional tanto no aspecto institucional quanto ao seu objetivo fim que é formar pessoas, mesmo existindo um aspecto de identidade em relação à EPT que está sendo construída e que propõe alguns tensionamentos. Responde a perspectiva em relação ao ensino médio, assim como está dialogando com muita representatividade com a educação de jovens e adultos e a inclusão social. No entanto, necessita de alguns alinhamentos das demandas regionais em relação aos cursos, à prática docente no desenvolvimento de projetos de pesquisa e extensão e a uma formação atrelada a EPT, bem como em relação aos diálogos com a sociedade. / This study aimed to analyze the dynamics of recent expansion of Brazilian federal system of Vocational and Technical Education (VTE), considering elements of public policies, regional integration and professional preparation. The study focuses on the Instituto Federal do Paraná (IFPR), and specifically Campus Avançado Coronel Vivida in the period from 2011 to 2015. VTE policies are constantly submitted to a tension among divergent development visions and diverse rationalities, thus emphasizing the importance of analyzing in which forms such expansion has established relationships with the development in a region-wide context. The theoretical framework is based on Education and work, Education and development, and Vocational and technical education. Activities such as educating and working are exclusively human, however, the capitalist system of production turns them into mere merchandise. This qualitative research prioritized an exploratory descriptive approach, employing techniques of bibliography and documentary analysis, concept map construction, as well as content analysis of data collected by using semi-structured interviews, individually applied to administrators and professors, as well as focus group interviews to students. The content analysis was carried out considering the previously established elements: VTE, regional integration, and professional preparation. These elements were employed in order to establish some aspects of convergence, divergence and/or singularities identified in the qualitative data records. The results indicate a convergence around the understanding of VTE as a public policy that promoted a countrywide dissemination of vocational education including human, political and ethical aspects, beyond professional preparation. In addition, the IFPR upholds a close relationship with regional development in the institutional facet when considering its objective of educating people, even if its identity regarding VTE is under construction. The IFPR professional preparation, as well as its youth and adults education, and social inclusion, were all well evaluated. However, the institution needs a better arrangement concerning matching regional demands and the courses IFPR offers, the same for teaching practices and development of research and extension projects, as well as in relation to general dialogue with regional society.

A presente investigação privilegiou o estudo sobre a formação do educador ambiental e, para isso, objetivou identificar e analisar as relações entre representações sociais sobre educação ambiental e as práticas pedagógicas desenvolvidas por docentes de cursos de licenciatura de duas universidades federais, localizadas na região sudoeste do Paraná. Primeiramente o trabalho foi referenciado com abordagem teórica em que autores elucidam sobre o percurso histórico da educação ambiental no Brasil, desde o seu surgimento até sua manifestação nas políticas públicas brasileiras; os fundamentos da educação ambiental na vertente conservadora e na vertente crítica, trazendo uma abordagem também sobre a questão da formação do educador ambiental nas licenciaturas. Na sequência foram tratados dos procedimentos metodológicos utilizados na investigação, e discutiu-se a pertinência da teoria das representações sociais nos estudos sobre práticas pedagógicas de educação ambiental. Os dados foram coletados mediante aplicação de questionários elaborados especificamente para o estudo, sendo um destinado aos professores, composto por questões de identificação, uma questão de evocação livre mediante termo indutor Educação Ambiental e questões dissertativas nas quais os sujeitos deveriam justificar as evocações induzidas pelo termo indutor e escrever suas concepções de educação ambiental; e outro destinado aos alunos dos respectivos professores e cursos investigados, composto também de três partes, sendo a primeira parte de identificação, a segunda parte composta por duas questões de evocação livre, cujos termos indutores eram Meio Ambiente e Educação Ambiental e questões dissertativas nas quais os sujeitos deveriam justificar as evocações induzidas pelos respectivos termos indutores. Foram analisados também os Projetos Políticos Pedagógicos dos cursos de licenciatura pesquisados. Para a análise e discussão das questões de evocação livre utilizou-se a teoria do núcleo central e para as questões dissertativas as técnicas de análise de conteúdo e análise documental. Os resultados indicaram que os docentes pesquisados representam socialmente a educação ambiental como um conjunto de práticas pedagógicas cuja finalidade é o desenvolvimento de atitudes, valores e condutas em favor da preservação ambiental, tendo em vista a sustentabilidade, de modo que essas representações sociais estão diretamente relacionadas com suas práticas pedagógicas de educação ambiental, informadas por eles mesmos, ou informadas através dos relatos dos estudantes. Evidenciaram-se relações entre as representações sociais sobre educação ambiental identificadas e as práticas pedagógicas dos docentes pesquisados. / This research study focused on the preparation of environmental educators and, therefore, aimed to identify and analyze the relationships between social representations of environmental education and teaching practices developed by teachers of undergraduate courses in two federal universities, located in the southwest region of the Paraná. First the work was referenced with theoretical approach in which authors elucidate about the historical background of environmental education in Brazil, from its inception until its manifestation in Brazilian public policies; the fundamentals of environmental education in the conservative strand and critical stance, bringing an approach also about the issue of training of environmental educators in degrees. Following were treated the methodological procedures used in research, and discussed the relevance of the theory of social representations in studies on pedagogical practices of environmental education. Data were collected by means of questionnaires developed specifically for the study, one for teachers, consisting of identification issues, a matter of free recall by inducing termEnvironmental Education and essay questions in which subjects should justify induced evocations by the term inductor and write their conceptions of environmental education; and another for students of their teachers and courses surveyed, also composed of three parts, the first part of the identification, the second part consists of two issues free recall, whose terms were inducers Environment and Environmental Education and essay questions in which the subjects should justify induced by the respective inductors terms evocations. Also Political Pedagogical Project of undergraduate courses surveyed were analyzed. For analysis and discussion of the issues of free recall used the central core theory and essay questions for the techniques of content analysis and document analysis. The results indicated that teachers surveyed represent socially environmental education as a set of pedagogical practices whose purpose is the development of attitudes, values and behaviors in favor of environmental protection, with a view to sustainability, so that these social representations are directly related with their teaching environmental education, informed by themselves, or informed via reports of students. Showed up relations between the social representations of identified environmental education and the pedagogical practices of teachers surveyed.

Reconhecendo a importância que o solo tem na manutenção dos ecossistemas é essencial que esse tema seja trabalhado no contexto ambiental pelas instituições de ensino fundamental, levando em consideração o conhecimento que os alunos já possuem inter-relacionando-os ao conhecimento científico. Assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo identificar as representações sociais de solo por parte dos professores das séries iniciais de Ensino Fundamental da rede municipal de Pato Branco – PR, buscando relacioná-las a prática pedagógica em educação em solos e educação ambiental. Para atingir os objetivos da pesquisa, a metodologia foi construída com base na utilização de questionários, análise dos subsídios escolares (planejamento e livro didático) e realização de grupo focal. Os resultados apontados pela pesquisa indicaram que existem falhas e erros conceituais nos subsídios escolares, não estando de acordo com o que é proposto pelos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais de Ciências Naturais e Meio Ambiente. Com relação as representações sociais de solo e educação ambiental, identificadas por meio dos questionários e do grupo focal, verificou-se que existe diferença entre as representações dos professores, o que ocasionou a formação de dois grupos distintos. O grupo da área rural apresentaram características de envolvimento com o solo no contexto ambiental voltado as questões de preservação para plantio e colheita, o que demonstra uma forte relação de sobrevivência estabelecida por esses sujeitos em relação ao solo e meio ambiente. Já os professores da área central e periférica indicaram que o solo é um recurso natural para utilização do ser humano. Esses indicativos possuem forte influência na maneira com que cada um desses grupos utiliza e percebem o solo em sua vivência social e comunitária. Foi identificado que a representação social dos professores influencia na prática pedagógica, isto é, na maneira como conduzem as atividades e valorizam esse recurso natural. De maneira geral, os professores manifestaram ter dificuldades de compreender o solo e ensiná-lo com coerência, pois expressaram possuir pouco conhecimento para desenvolverem esse tema aliado ao contexto ambiental. / Recognizing the importance that the soil has in maintaining ecosystems, becomes essential that this issue be worked in the environmental context by the elementary education institutions, taking into account the knowledge students already possess interrelating them to scientific knowledge. Thus, the present study aimed to identify the social representations of soil by teachers of initial grades of elementary school in the city of Pato Branco - PR, trying to relate them to pedagogical practice in soils and environmental education. To achieve the research objectives, methodology was based on the use of questionnaires, analysis of education allowances (planning and textbook) and conducting focus groups. The results presented by the research indicated that there are failures and misconceptions in education allowances, not agreeing with what is proposed by the National Curriculum Standards of Natural Sciences and Environment. Regarding the social representation of soil and environmental education, identified through questionnaires and focus group, it was found that there is difference between the representations of teachers, resulting in the formation of two distinct groups. The group of the rural area has presented characteristics of involvement with the ground in the context of environmental oriented preservation issues for planting and harvesting, which demonstrates a strong relationship of survival established by them in relation to the soil and the environment. Teachers from the central and peripheral area has indicated that the soil is a natural resource for human use. These indications have strong influence on the way that each of these groups perceive and use the soil in your social and community life. It was identified that the social representation of teachers influences the teaching practice, ie, , in the way they conduct their activities and valorize this natural resource. Overall, teachers expressed having difficulty in understanding the soil and teach it consistently, considering they have expressed little knowledge to develop this theme together with the environmental context.

Pensar o papel da família no contexto educacional de seus filhos torna-se temática fundamental diante das novas transformações na sociedade neste início do século XXI. O tema relação família e escola envolve um conjunto de atores e vem sendo discutido constantemente nas últimas décadas como um pilar fundamental para o processo educacional das crianças e jovens. A presente dissertação tem como tema de pesquisa a relação família e escola na Pedagogia da Alternância nas Casas Familiares Rurais de Candói e Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, ambas localizadas no Território Cantuquiriguaçu no Estado do Paraná. Realizou-se uma pesquisa social, de cunho qualitativo, tendo como instrumento de coleta de dados observações, visitas a propriedades e entrevistas. Analisou-se comparativamente as duas CFRs, como se processa a relação das famílias com as mesmas e com o processo de ensino aprendizagem de seus filhos. Entendeu-se que a participação da família na Pedagogia da Alternância além de constituir-se enquanto um pilar dessa metodologia também é intrínseca ao compartilhamento de saberes entre pais e filhos dentro do contexto social no qual estão inseridos. Os resultados da pesquisa indicam que as famílias necessitam de maiores incentivos e condições para poderem exercer seu direito à participação nas CFRs, pois as propriedades localizam-se em espaços rurais, muitas vezes, de difícil acesso e grande distância das Escolas. / Thinking about the role of the family in the educational context of his sons to become the face of new thematic fundamental changes in society in the XXI century. The theme about family and school involves a set of actors and has been discussed constantly in recent decades as a cornerstone to the educational process of children and youth. This dissertation is a research topic about family and school in the Pedagogy of Alternation in Rural Family Houses Candói of Iguaçu and Rio Bonito, both located in Macau Cantuquiriguaçu in Paraná State. We conducted a social survey, a qualitative, with the data collection instrument observations, interviews and visits to properties. We analyzed comparatively the two CFRs how is the relation of families with them and with the teaching-learning process of their children. It was understood that family participation in the Pedagogy of Alternation besides constituting itself as a pillar of this methodology is also intrinsic to sharing knowledge between parents and children within the social context to which they belong. It was noticed that families need greater incentives and requirements to exercise their right to participate in the CFRs, because the properties are located in rural areas, often difficult to access and long distance Schools.

O presente estudo teve como fio condutor a intenção de analisar as dinâmicas do recente processo de expansão da Educação Profissional e Tecnológica (EPT) considerando elementos de políticas públicas, inserção regional e formação profissional, a partir da percepção dos gestores, docentes e discentes dos Cursos do IFPR, Campus Avançado Coronel Vivida. O foco da pesquisa foi o IFPR, Campus Avançado Coronel Vivida, no período de 2011 a 2015. A política de EPT encontra-se sob constante tensão entre diferentes projetos de desenvolvimento e racionalidades em disputa, sendo que se percebe a importância de analisar como a recente expansão tem estabelecido relações com o desenvolvimento no contexto de abrangência regional. O referencial teórico apoia-se em pesquisadores que se dedicam a estudos sobre Educação e Trabalho; Educação e Desenvolvimento; Educação Profissional e Tecnológica, sendo que educação e trabalho são atividades exclusivas do ser humano, contudo, no sistema capitalista de produção, ambas são convertidas em mercadoria. Numa perspectiva emancipatória de educação e trabalho, a EPT deve incorporar, além do desenvolvimento das questões locais, uma visão de desenvolvimento caracterizado pela expansão das liberdades. Os aspectos metodológicos deste trabalho foram caracterizados a partir da pesquisa qualitativa, priorizando uma abordagem descritiva exploratória. A metodologia de investigação articulou levantamento bibliográfico e documental, construção de mapas conceituais, bem como a análise de conteúdo dos dados coletados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas individuais (Gestores e Docentes) e de grupo focal (Discentes). A análise de conteúdo foi realizada considerando-se as categorias previamente estabelecidas: Educação Profissional e Tecnológica, inserção regional e formação profissional. Estas categorias foram utilizadas para estabelecer aspectos evidenciados com características comuns em termos de convergências, divergências ou singularidades entre os elementos coletados. Diante disso, em termos de síntese, pôde-se perceber uma convergência quanto à concepção de que a EPT é uma política pública que incentivou a interiorização da educação profissional, incorporando uma formação humana, política, ética, para além da formação técnica. Além disso, que o IFPR mantém uma relação muito próxima com o desenvolvimento regional tanto no aspecto institucional quanto ao seu objetivo fim que é formar pessoas, mesmo existindo um aspecto de identidade em relação à EPT que está sendo construída e que propõe alguns tensionamentos. Responde a perspectiva em relação ao ensino médio, assim como está dialogando com muita representatividade com a educação de jovens e adultos e a inclusão social. No entanto, necessita de alguns alinhamentos das demandas regionais em relação aos cursos, à prática docente no desenvolvimento de projetos de pesquisa e extensão e a uma formação atrelada a EPT, bem como em relação aos diálogos com a sociedade. / This study aimed to analyze the dynamics of recent expansion of Brazilian federal system of Vocational and Technical Education (VTE), considering elements of public policies, regional integration and professional preparation. The study focuses on the Instituto Federal do Paraná (IFPR), and specifically Campus Avançado Coronel Vivida in the period from 2011 to 2015. VTE policies are constantly submitted to a tension among divergent development visions and diverse rationalities, thus emphasizing the importance of analyzing in which forms such expansion has established relationships with the development in a region-wide context. The theoretical framework is based on Education and work, Education and development, and Vocational and technical education. Activities such as educating and working are exclusively human, however, the capitalist system of production turns them into mere merchandise. This qualitative research prioritized an exploratory descriptive approach, employing techniques of bibliography and documentary analysis, concept map construction, as well as content analysis of data collected by using semi-structured interviews, individually applied to administrators and professors, as well as focus group interviews to students. The content analysis was carried out considering the previously established elements: VTE, regional integration, and professional preparation. These elements were employed in order to establish some aspects of convergence, divergence and/or singularities identified in the qualitative data records. The results indicate a convergence around the understanding of VTE as a public policy that promoted a countrywide dissemination of vocational education including human, political and ethical aspects, beyond professional preparation. In addition, the IFPR upholds a close relationship with regional development in the institutional facet when considering its objective of educating people, even if its identity regarding VTE is under construction. The IFPR professional preparation, as well as its youth and adults education, and social inclusion, were all well evaluated. However, the institution needs a better arrangement concerning matching regional demands and the courses IFPR offers, the same for teaching practices and development of research and extension projects, as well as in relation to general dialogue with regional society.