A prática da leitura literária no ensino fundamental II: reflexões e possibilidades

Abstract

Literature in schools, specifically within lower secondary education (grades 6-9), has been used, in certain contexts, according to Cosson (2014), as a “bridge” to the literacy process. Thus, the act of experiencing the literary text, as well as its nuances in literary reading from a social and historical perspective, has been neglected in the school environment, as highlighted by Zilberman (2008). In this regard, several scholars in the field of literary reading provide support for teachers through their theoretical contributions. In view of this, the following questions emerge: how do normative documents support the practice of literary reading? And how do Portuguese Language teachers in lower secondary education perceive literary reading within this context? To address these questions, the study entitled “The Practice of Literary Reading in Lower Secondary Education: Reflections and Possibilities” aimed to investigate the perceptions of Portuguese Language teachers regarding literary reading in the school environment, articulating their knowledge with bibliographical productions and normative documents. To achieve the proposed objectives, the study adopted a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodology, carried out through bibliographical research based on the following authors who address the topic: Cosson (2014, 2015), discussing literary reading and literacy; Eagleton (2017), addressing literariness; Goulart (2023), examining the relationship between reading, literary reading, and teaching; Jouve (2002), discussing the multiple dimensions of literary reading: affective, argumentative, and symbolic; Lajolo (1984, 1995), approaching literary reading as intertwined with society and the reader; Mota (2016), reflecting on the relationship between literature, teaching, and learning; Petit (2013), addressing literary texts and identity; Sisto (2012), discussing literary reading and the imaginative process; and Zilberman (2008), focusing on literature and its imaginative and aesthetic dimensions. To investigate literary reading and its specificities in normative documents, the study followed a chronological approach, beginning with milestones from the 1990s, such as LDBEN No. 9,394/1996 and the PCNs (1998), and continuing with normative texts from the 2000s, including Resolution CNE/CEB No. 7/2010, the BNCC (2017), and Law No. 13,696/2018, which establishes the National Reading and Writing Policy. Considering the school as the primary locus for literary reading, as emphasized by Cosson (2014), and in addition to analyzing the works of key authors and normative texts in order to diagnose the state of literary reading in schools, field research was conducted to generate data through semi-structured interviews with thirteen Portuguese Language teachers working in lower secondary education in the city of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The collected materials were subjected to content analysis. The study discusses the contributions of the authors who support literary-text practices in schools, the advances and gaps found in normative documents, and teachers’ perspectives, which are shaped by the knowledge and experiences accumulated throughout their professional practice in schools. From this perspective, the research proposes, as an educational product, a pedagogical workshop on literary reading for Portuguese Language teachers working in lower secondary education.