Digital Communication, Pedagogical Authority and Teacher Work in Parents’ Whatsapp Groups

Dayse da Silva Pereira; Kelly Beatriz Danelon Anselmo

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202602825

Article derived from a Final Course Work (TCC), with content based on the student’s original work and adapted to the editorial format of the E&S Magazine with the support of the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by the Pecege Institute for textual synthesis and organization.

Abstract

The growing incorporation of digital communication technologies, especially WhatsApp, has reconfigured the relationships between school and family in Elementary School – Early Years, impacting institutional organization and teaching work. The study analyzed the repercussions of using WhatsApp parent groups on school dynamics, in light of the Neuroscience of Learning and institutional mediation, seeking to understand their implications for teaching work, pedagogical authority, and relational climate. The investigation was characterized as qualitative, of an applied and descriptive-exploratory nature, based on the reflective systematization of professional practice, articulated with national secondary data and documentary review. It was identified that the absence of clear institutional delimitation was associated with the intensification of communication demands, the public exposure of conflicts, and the expansion of reactive interactions, with repercussions on pedagogical authority and relational climate. From the perspective of the Neuroscience of Learning, such communication environments can impact self-regulation processes, emotional stability, and attentional conditions. Institutional mediation emerged as a central category, shifting the debate from the technological dimension to the organizational and pedagogical one. As an applied development, a Guide to Institutional Mediation for the Use of Parent WhatsApp Groups was developed, structured in communication protocols, mediation strategies, and digital ethics guidelines. It was concluded that the institutional organization of digital communication is relevant for the preservation of pedagogical authority, relational stability, and conditions favorable to teaching and learning.

Keywords: connectivity; digital ethics; school management; pedagogical mediation; neuroeducation.

1. Introduction

The growing incorporation of digital communication technologies, notably WhatsApp, has reconfigured the relationships between school and family in the context of Elementary School – Early Years. In recent years, the consolidation of parent WhatsApp groups has become a recurring practice in educational institutions, aiming to facilitate the flow of information and optimize communication among the different actors in the school community.

However, the absence of a clear institutional boundary for the use of these digital tools has generated significant repercussions in the school dynamics and in the teaching work. There is an intensification of communication demands, public exposure of conflicts, and an expansion of reactive interactions, especially when the virtual environment is used for judgments, exposures, and comments about pedagogical activity. Such situations compromise pedagogical authority and the relational climate in the school.

From the perspective of Learning Neuroscience, these communicational phenomena can be understood by the neuroemotional processes involved in human interactions. Digital environments marked by hostility, impulsivity, and judgment tend to activate neurophysiological stress responses, such as cortisol release and amygdala activation. These responses can negatively impact essential cognitive functions, such as attention, memory, and emotional regulation, as pointed out by Damásio (2012) and Goleman (2012).

In this context, the speed of messages and the lack of prior mediation can favor impulsive responses and difficulties in emotional self-regulation by adults. This can lead to predominantly reactive interactions, with less action from inhibitory control processes associated with the prefrontal cortex, impacting educators’ emotional well-being and the school’s relational climate, with implications for teaching and learning processes.

The ethical dimension of digital communication is equally relevant. Cortella (2018) emphasizes the responsibility inherent in human coexistence, especially in collective spaces, where hasty judgment and exposure can weaken bonds and mutual respect. In the educational environment, the absence of ethical parameters in communication can compromise the legitimacy of teaching professionals and intensify conflicts, highlighting the need for institutional mediation.

This scenario of communicational transformations is inserted in the expansion of Digital Information and Communication Technologies (DICTs), which alter the channels of school dialogue. Kenski (2012) highlights that the integration of technologies in education demands new teaching competencies and pedagogical practices based on interaction and collaboration. Furthermore, legal frameworks such as the National Digital Education Policy (Law nº 14.533/2023) and the General Data Protection Law (Law nº 13.709/2018) provide guidelines for digital education and data protection, aligning with the competencies of the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) related to empathy, responsibility, and digital culture.

The problematic of this research was identified in everyday situations in Elementary School, where comments and judgments from guardians, disseminated in WhatsApp groups, were reproduced by children in the classroom, causing embarrassment and emotional suffering. Although these groups have the potential to bring school and family closer, there is a gap in studies that, from the perspective of Learning Neuroscience and educational ethics, investigate the emotional, cognitive, and ethical repercussions of using these digital resources without well-defined institutional parameters for teaching practice. This gap highlights the need for critical reflection that connects daily practice to academic grounding.

The institutional organization of digital communication is, therefore, a crucial element for the preservation of pedagogical authority, relational stability, and favorable conditions for teaching and learning. Given this context, the present study aimed to analyze the repercussions of using WhatsApp groups of parents in the school dynamic, in light of the Neuroscience of Learning and institutional mediation, seeking to understand its implications for teaching work, pedagogical authority, and the relational climate.

2. Material and Methods

The investigation was characterized as qualitative, of an applied nature and with a descriptive-exploratory design, according to the classification proposed by Gil (2019). An interpretive approach to professional practice was adopted, based on the reflective systematization of practice. The study sought to analyze the repercussions of using WhatsApp parent groups on school dynamics, in light of the Neuroscience of Learning and institutional mediation, in coherence with the central objective of the research.

Methodologically, it was a practice-based research, where professional experience in the context of pedagogical coordination constituted the starting point for problematization. This experience was subjected to a process of reflective and retrospective systematization, articulated to the theoretical and documentary framework. The empirical object consisted of situations experienced in professional practice, related to digital communication in WhatsApp groups of parents.

The analyzed material consisted of a systematized reflection on situations experienced in professional practice. Planned participant observation, interviews, or questionnaires with the subjects involved were not conducted. The situations were organized based on recurring aspects related to digital communication, the emergence and mediation of conflicts, the limits of communication between school and guardians, and the perceived repercussions in pedagogical work.

A bibliographic survey was conducted, based on a narrative literature review, covering digital education, pedagogical mediation, and ethics in school relations. An analysis of normative devices and current legislation was carried out, with emphasis on the General Data Protection Law (Law No. 13.709/2018) and the National Digital Education Policy (Law No. 14.533/2023). Competencies 5 and 9 of the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) were also integrated.

For the macrostructural contextualization of the phenomenon, indicators from official public databases were used, such as the TIC Kids Online Brasil survey, conducted by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br), and the TALIS report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The analysis of professional practice involved the identification of communication patterns and the organization of the systematized material into thematic categories. The interpretation was carried out in light of the adopted theoretical framework, according to Nóvoa (1992; 2009).

The generalization of results was not sought, but rather the understanding of the phenomenon in its context, aiming at the proposition of organizational strategies. The research was framed within the hypotheses of non-registration provided for in art. 1, item VII, of CNS Resolution nº 510/2016. The analysis of professional situations occurred retrospectively and de-identified, without identification of subjects or treatment of sensitive data, preserving the focus on the improvement of formative processes.

A school institution, an Educational Center located in Piracicaba, São Paulo, granted formal consent for the research to be conducted. This consent, according to documents presented in Annexes 1 and 2 of the original work, authorized the development of the study and the ethical use of contextual information, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of the analyzed data.

As an applied development of the research, the “Institutional Mediation Guide for the Use of Parents’ WhatsApp Groups – Connectivity with Ethics” (Appendix A) was developed. This material, of a propositional and guiding nature, brought together usage protocols, mediation strategies, and institutional recommendations aimed at promoting ethical digital communication. Its construction was based on theoretical systematization, documentary analysis, and professional reflection, articulating the National Common Curricular Base, the legal frameworks of the General Data Protection Law, and the contributions of the Neuroscience of Learning.

3. Results and Discussion

The results of the present investigation were analytically constructed from the articulation between professional experience in the scope of pedagogical coordination and the systematization of recurring situations in daily school life. These elements were discussed with specialized literature and with data from national and international research, allowing for an interpretation of the findings that transcends isolated occurrences. The analysis related the transformations in communication forms between school and families to the repercussions of these interactions on the organization of pedagogical work and institutional relations, highlighting the multidimensional nature of the problem.

To provide greater systematicity to the interpretation of professional experience, analytical categories related to the methodological, relational, communicational, pedagogical, and ethical dimensions were organized. These categories were structured from the identification of different interaction patterns and the contrast between constructive and limiting attitudes. This interpretive matrix allowed for an understanding of the communication forms present in the digital school environment and the possibilities for transitioning from immediate and poorly mediated responses to practices guided by institutional principles, providing subsidies for the elaboration of the educational product.

Intensification of Teaching Work

The analysis carried out allowed for the identification of a significant increase in communication demands directed at the school through messaging applications, especially WhatsApp groups used for interaction between professionals and families. Although these resources favor the agility in the circulation of information, their incorporation into daily school life, when unaccompanied by clearly defined institutional parameters, was associated with an increase in demands attributed to professionals and repercussions on the organization of teaching work.

In the analyzed context, the expectation of continuous availability to respond to digital demands contributed to the weakening of the boundaries between time allocated for work and personal time. Communication mediated by applications has become a continuous part of the professional routine, creating, in certain situations, an expectation of responsiveness that exceeds the institutional limits established for the exercise of the function. This movement characterizes a dimension of the intensification of teaching work, related not only to the volume of demands but also to the temporal extension of professional availability.

This result can be contextualized by the data from the TIC Educação survey, conducted by the Internet Management Committee in Brazil (CGI.br), which highlight the consolidation of digital technologies in communication and interaction practices in daily educational life. Although this data does not allow for a direct causal relationship to be established with the intensification of teaching work identified in the analyzed context, it contributes to situating the phenomenon within the broader process of incorporating digital technologies into the relationships between school, professionals, and families.

The discussion of this dimension can also be articulated to the contributions of Neuroscience, especially regarding the relationship between emotional processes, self-regulation, and decision-making. From Damásio’s (2011) perspective, cognitive and emotional processes are related to bodily conditions and how individuals respond to different experienced situations. In this sense, the expectation of immediate responses and the perception of continuous availability can be understood as elements potentially related to self-regulation conditions in professional practice.

It should be noted, however, that the theoretical contributions of Neuroscience do not allow for establishing a direct causal relationship between the use of messaging applications and neurophysiological changes. In this study, they were used as an interpretive framework to discuss possible repercussions of continuous digital communication on the conditions of teaching work. In the field of professional training and identity, this discussion dialogues with the contributions of Nóvoa (2009), especially regarding the relationship between the concrete conditions of teaching practice and professional development processes.

From this perspective, the delimitation of boundaries between institutional communication and personal availability can also be understood as an issue related to the organization of work and the valorization of the teaching professional practice. The absence of clear institutional delimitation was associated with the intensification of communication demands, the public exposure of conflicts, and the expansion of reactive interactions, with repercussions on pedagogical authority and the relational climate, as identified in systematized professional practice.

Reconfiguration of Pedagogical Authority

The findings related to this dimension point to a reconfiguration of pedagogical authority in interactions mediated by digital environments. Questions, requests, and conflict situations directed at the school were interpreted considering not only their content but also the channels and forms of communication used. When demands of an individual nature are moved to collective communication spaces, they can gain greater visibility and exceed the limits of individual dialogue between family, teacher, and administration, making the processes of reception, referral, and mediation more complex.

The exposure of private demands in groups intended for collective communication confers public character on situations that, under certain circumstances, require individual reception, listening, and referral. In these cases, the absence of institutional mediation can favor the tensioning of relationships between families and professionals, shifting the focus from demand resolution to the exposure and confrontation of positions in the communication space. The definition of adequate channels for referring these situations constitutes, in this sense, a strategy for organizing communication and preserving the necessary conditions for pedagogical dialogue.

From this perspective, pedagogical authority is understood not as a unilateral exercise of power, but as a construction linked to professional legitimacy, institutional organization, and the quality of relationships established in the educational environment. According to Cortella (2018), the exercise of teaching authority presupposes recognition, responsibility, and commitment to the educational purpose. Institutional communication, therefore, constitutes one of the dimensions in which this authority manifests itself, is built, and can be strained, especially when the channels and forms of interaction do not favor the dialogue and mediation necessary for the educational purpose.

TALIS data contribute to broadening this discussion by highlighting the relevance of professional relationships established between teachers, managers, students, and families for the teaching working conditions. In Brazil, the results of TALIS 2024 indicated that 53% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that teachers are valued by parents or guardians, a percentage lower than the OECD average of 65%. Although this data does not allow for a direct relationship to be established with the conflicts observed in WhatsApp groups, it contributes to contextualizing the relational dimension of teaching in the broader debate about the conditions of professional practice.

The relational dimension also encompasses the way adults communicate in digital environments that directly or indirectly integrate students’ daily lives. In this sense, data from the TIC Kids Online Brasil research contribute to contextualizing the presence of digital technologies in the experience of children and adolescents, highlighting the relevance of mediation processes that consider not only access to technological resources but also the forms of interaction and the conditions under which these resources are incorporated into the educational daily life.

Within the scope of this study, this contextualization reinforces the need to understand school digital communication as part of a broader relational environment, in which adults’ communication practices can also impact the educational experience. From a psycho-pedagogical perspective, the analysis of systematized situations allowed for the identification of repercussions of communication forms among adults on the relational climate involving students, teachers, and pedagogical coordination.

Situations marked by tension, exposure, judgment, or poorly mediated communication were considered in relation to their possible effects on coexistence and the relationships established in daily school life. This interpretation dialogues with the contributions of Goleman (2012), especially regarding emotional regulation and the quality of interpersonal relationships as relevant elements for coexistence, relational climate, and the conditions that favor learning processes.

Thus, the reconfiguration of pedagogical authority identified in this study does not stem from the presence of technology, but from the ways in which digital resources alter the circulation of demands, the visibility of manifestations, and the boundaries between individual and collective communication. The institutional challenge, therefore, consists in establishing conditions for digital communication to remain subordinate to the educational purpose and to the principles that guide the relationship between school and families.

Psychosocial and Ethical Dimension and Institutional Organization

The research findings revealed the presence of interactions marked by impulsivity, judgment, exposure, and insufficient institutional mediation in parents’ WhatsApp groups. These characteristics generate potential repercussions on interpersonal relationships and the school community’s relational climate, compromising the quality of the educational environment. The absence or insufficiency of shared parameters for the functioning of these groups contributes to the production of distinct expectations regarding schedules, forms of approach, and appropriate channels for expressing demands.

From the perspective of Neuroscience of Learning, communicational environments marked by hostility, impulsivity, and judgment can activate neurophysiological stress responses, such as cortisol release and amygdala activation. These responses can negatively impact essential cognitive functions, such as attention, memory, and emotional regulation, as pointed out by Damásio (2012) and Goleman (2012). The speed of messages and the lack of prior mediation can favor impulsive responses and difficulties in emotional self-regulation by adults, leading to predominantly reactive interactions.

In convergence with the ethical perspective, Cortella (2018) highlights that human coexistence demands responsibility in words and actions, especially in collective spaces, where hasty judgment and exposure of others can weaken bonds and mutual respect. In the educational setting, communication practices devoid of ethical parameters can compromise the professional legitimacy of teachers and amplify conflict situations, reinforcing the need for institutional mediation in interactions between school and family.

The absence of clear institutional guidelines for the use of WhatsApp by parents resulted in the overlap between professional demands and personal time, greater exposure of manifestations, and tension in professional relationships. Furthermore, it hindered the individualized treatment of demands and generated the need for ethical parameters for communication among the different actors in the school community. The institutional organization of digital communication is, therefore, a crucial element for preserving pedagogical authority, relational stability, and favorable conditions for teaching and learning.

The Institutional Mediation Guide as Applied Development

As a development of the analysis carried out, the articulation between the systematized findings of professional practice, national and international secondary data, and theoretical references allowed us to understand that conflicts mediated by digital technologies are not just isolated situations. They are manifestations of a reconfiguration of communication methods and relationships between school and families, highlighting the need for institutional parameters capable of organizing the uses, meanings, and limits of digital communication in the school context.

The identification of this need constituted the link between the investigation’s findings and the development of the educational product, guiding the development of the “Institutional Mediation Guide for the Use of Parent WhatsApp Groups – Connectivity with Ethics”. The construction of the Guide followed a logic of correspondence between the problems identified from systematized professional practice and the institutional needs arising from the analysis of school communication.

The intensification of communication demands and the overlap between professional and personal time guided the definition of parameters related to institutional communication schedules and channels. The exposure of questions and conflicts in collective spaces supported the proposition of mechanisms for individualized referral and management mediation. In turn, the identification of interactions marked by judgment, impulsivity, exposure, and insufficient institutional mediation guided the development of guidelines focused on ethics, privacy, and communication responsibility.

This correspondence between the findings and the identified needs guided the definition of the product’s axes, contemplating the organization of communication channels and schedules, the individualized referral of demands, the institutional mediation of conflict situations, and the adoption of principles of ethics, privacy, and responsibility in the digital environment. This structure sought to establish a direct relationship between the findings of professional practice and the guidelines proposed in the Guide, giving the product an applied and functional character for the context of basic education.

Considering the identified analytical dimensions, the product was structured based on the needs evidenced by the investigation, especially those related to the organization of communication, the preservation of pedagogical authority, and the qualification of psychosocial and ethical relationships in the school environment. Thus, the Guide constitutes an applied development of the investigation, seeking to offer grounded guidelines for the organization of institutional communication and for the mediation of interactions between school and families, considering the challenges identified in daily school life.

In summary, the results showed that the problem of using parents’ WhatsApp groups is multidimensional, affecting the temporal organization of teaching work, the way pedagogical authority is exercised, interpersonal relationships, and interaction modes within the school community. The main challenge lies not in the presence of WhatsApp as a technological resource, but in the institutional conditions that guide its appropriation in the school context. The absence of shared guidelines favors the amplification of demands, the undefined nature of communication responsibilities, and the inadequate treatment of situations requiring support and individualized mediation, negatively impacting the relational climate and the conditions for teaching and learning.

4. Conclusion

This research analyzed the repercussions of using WhatsApp parent groups on school dynamics, in light of Learning Neuroscience and institutional mediation, seeking to understand their implications for teaching work, pedagogical authority, and relational climate. It was found that the absence of clear institutional delimitation for the use of these digital tools was associated with the intensification of communication demands, the public exposure of conflicts, and the amplification of reactive interactions. These phenomena reconfigured pedagogical authority and strained the relational climate, with potential impacts on self-regulation processes, emotional stability, and attentional conditions, as discussed by Learning Neuroscience. Institutional mediation emerged as a central category, shifting the debate from the technological dimension to the organizational and pedagogical one. As a practical contribution, an Institutional Mediation Guide for the Use of WhatsApp Parent Groups was developed, structured in communication protocols, mediation strategies, and digital ethics guidelines, aiming to organize the uses, meanings, and limits of digital communication in the school context.

However, the present investigation, in its current stage, did not include the application or systematic empirical validation of the educational product. This methodological delimitation points to the need for future studies that delve deeper into the subject, especially through the implementation of the Guide in different school contexts and the evaluation of its applicability, adequacy, and effectiveness. It is concluded that the institutional organization of digital communication is a crucial element for the preservation of pedagogical authority, relational stability, and favorable conditions for teaching and learning, configuring itself as a structuring dimension of the relational, ethical, and pedagogical conditions that support the quality of the educational process.

Bibliographic References

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Article originating from a Final Course Work on Neuroscience and Learning in Education

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