Letramento em saúde e educação integral em sexualidade: percepções e desafios de professores em formação continuada

Abstract

Health Literacy (HL) serves as a tool for critically interpreting the world and exercising citizenship. However, the effective application of this concept in Science Teaching, especially in the field of human sexuality, still faces biological reductionism and a lack of spaces for teacher reflection. This research aimed to investigate HL and its articulation with Science Teaching, from the perspective of teachers participating in a continuing education course focused on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). The specific objectives sought to: 1) associate the skills proposed by the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) with HL and the Social Determinants of Health (SDH); 2) identify the articulation between HL and teaching within an extension activity; 3) analyze teacher perception regarding HL and sexuality; and 4) understand the implications of the training for pedagogical practice. This is a qualitative research study involving eight elementary school teachers. Data were collected through a didactic sequence across four meetings, using focus groups, questionnaires, problem-solving situations, interviews, field diaries, and materials produced by the teachers. The data analysis followed Bardin’s Content Analysis. The results revealed that, in the BNCC, determinants such as economic and biological aspects are emphatic, while themes such as labor, respect for human diversity, support networks, and basic sanitation are incipient. It was identified that, although the teachers possess basic health knowledge, they feel unprepared to address the topic. Challenges to CSE include a lack of dialogue between family, school, and society, as well as religious and cultural barriers. Throughout the training, SDH were correlated, enabling a broader view of health. After six months, the participants demonstrated SDH knowledge that was articulated and applied to their daily routines, associating HL with autonomy in self-care, the right to health, and citizenship. It is concluded that continuing education, systematized under the principles of HL, provided essential subsidies to qualify teaching practice in Basic Education.