“We are not the same as we were in March 2020":

school and educational psychology at the Federal Institute of Alagoas in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This article is a research report that aimed to understand the perspectives of professional practice in School Psychology, addressing the experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically at the Federal Institute of Alagoas (IFAL). The study was based on the Historical-Cultural Psychology proposed by Vygotsky, carried out with 8 Psychology professionals from Student Assistance at the various IFAL campuses, and its methodological approach was qualitative research, which, through semi-structured interviews, enabled the participants' point of view to be analyzed using content analysis. It was possible to understand the contexts in which the psychologists were working. The work of each of them shows similarities and distinctions between them during remote teaching. It was understood that the activities carried out during remote teaching were based on IFAL's Student Assistance Policy, with adaptations. There were always challenges in the practice of the psychologists interviewed. However, the pandemic demanded a reinvention of their work, and they acted according to their personal and professional conditions. It was also possible to observe that the demands have increased in quantity and intensity, placing even greater demands on psychologists and requiring them to pay close attention to their health. In addition, it was understood that teamwork in Student Assistance and the IFAL Psychology Group is essential for the work of each professional and for the institution as a whole.