A relação família e escola no contexto da educação especial inclusiva: desafios e possibilidades em uma escola estadual mineira

Abstract

This research addresses the relationships between school and family, focusing on Special Education from an inclusive perspective. It is a case study conducted in a state school located in the city of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil, with students enrolled in the early years of elementary school who are part of the Special Education population. The guiding question is: how to improve interactions with the families of students who are part of the Special Education population at the school under investigation? The general objective is to analyze the potential and challenges involved in the relationships established with the families of students who are part of the Special Education population in the early years at the school studied. The specific objectives outlined are: a) To describe the actions aimed at fostering closer relationships with the families of students with Special Education needs enrolled in the early years at the school under study; b) To analyze how school management establishes interactions with students' families, as well as the factors that enhance or hinder the consolidation of such relationships; c) To propose actions that encourage interaction with families in the school environment, contributing to the inclusion of students with Special Education needs. The theoretical framework is structured around the axes of family-school relations and Special Education from an inclusive perspective. The concept of familyschool relations is based on the contributions of Polonia and Dessen (2005, 2007), Oliveira and Araújo (2010), Resende and Silva (2016), Saraiva-Jungles and Wagner (2016), and Campos (2021). Regarding Special Education from an inclusive perspective, the studies of Mantoan (2001, 2011), Glat (2005, 2018), Kassar (2011), Marques (2012, 2015), Antunes (2012), Antunes (2016), Secundino and Santos (2023), Pletsch and Mendes (2024), Bittencourt1 (2024), Bittencourt2 (2024), and Bittencourt (2025) stand out. This research, situated within the field of human sciences, adopts a qualitative approach and is structured as a case study. The procedures adopted for the development of the research are bibliographic review and field research. The field research is supported by the documentary analysis of school records and by the interview instrument. The interview was conducted with three participant profiles: i) family; ii) school management; iii) support teachers. The study is carried out through the following methodological phases: a) bibliographic review; b) data collection, carried out through research and analysis of documents and semi- structured interviews with the participating subjects during the field research; c) data analysis, through the organization and systematization of the collected information; d) final review and writing based on the interpretations of the results according to the objectives outlined in the study; e) presentation of the Educational Action Plan (EAP), with proposed strategies aimed at strengthening a more inclusive educational service in the school, through daily practices that involve the active participation of families. The results show that, although there are actions aimed at bringing schools and families closer together, challenges persist related to institutional communication, parental participation in pedagogical decisions, and the continuity of inclusive practices in the daily life of the school. The need for continuing education for professionals and more systematic strategies for welcoming and supporting the families of students with special educational needs was also observed. As a result, this study reinforces the importance of future research that expands the analysis to other educational stages, investigates the impact of state inclusion policies on the family-school relationship, and explores innovative practices of family participation that can strengthen school inclusion in different contexts.