Sentidos del trabajo en docentes de aulas hospitalarias: Las emociones y el presente como pilares del proceso de trabajo

Abstract

Recent research on teacher labor has pinpointed the importance of improving our understanding of the meanings attributed to work. This article presents the main findings of a qualitative research on teacher´ attributions of work and the affective experience of work, in  teachers working in hospital classrooms of Santiago, Chile. The results from focus group analysis show two main groups of meanings of work: facilitating students´ reintegration into the formal school, and experiencing classroom relationships as a normal space. Regarding the experience of the affective dimensions of work, we found four nuclei of meaning: validation of emotions, oscillating and extreme experiences, intensity of the established emotional ties and valuing the affective aspects of work as a privilege. We discuss these results in the light of evidence from recent research on teaching work in Chile.