Práticas Pedagógicas Emergentes em Escolas Bilíngues de Cascavel (PR)

Abstract

This dissertation has been developed to investigate the teaching methodologies employed in prestigious schools that have self-identified as bilingual, with the purpose of analyzing how these pedagogical practices have been employed in a context marked by the expansion of elite bilingualism and by the absence of a national approved regulation. The main objective of this research is to analyze the pedagogical practices of three prestigious bilingual schools in Cascavel (PR), verifying to what extent these institutions approximate the guidelines established by CNE/CEB Opinion Number 02/2020, in a context of absence of approved national regulation. To this end, the study sought to identify the adopted methodologies, analyze the teacher training profile, verify compliance with the Opinion regarding workload and self-designation, investigate the approach to inclusion and cultural diversity, examine the assessment methods, and identify the challenges in implementing bilingual education. The theoretical framework has been constructed by articulating the historical-dialectical materialist perspective with the dialogic theory of language of the Bakhtin Circle (1981, 2014), Vygotsky’s socio-historical theory (2008), and contemporary studies on bilingual education in Brazil, especially the contributions of Megale (2018, 2019) and the dimensions of the bilingual subject proposed by Hamers and Blanc (2000). The study adopted a qualitative approach, framed by an interpretivist paradigm, with data collection carried out from December 2024 to March 2025, through semi-structured interviews with three coordinators and questionnaires administered to sixteen teachers. The data have been analyzed with emphasis on the declared methodologies, such as the CLIL approach and Immersion teaching, by comparing management discourse with teachers’ perceptions and normative requirements. The results have revealed a mismatch between the pedagogical practices observed and the guidelines of the Opinion, especially concerning the specific training and proof of proficiency of the teaching staff. Within this “lawless” context, the bilingual self designation has been interpreted as a complex phenomenon, influenced both by pedagogical projects and by the dynamics of a competitive market. The analysis has indicated that the investigated practices have been shaped by a tension between the normative ideal, institutional strategies, and the material conditions of the local context.