TEACHERS' CONCEPTIONS ABOUT DRUG ADDICTION AND THEIR POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE IN THE PROCESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE EARLY YEARS

The study sought to identify teachers' conceptions on the possible relation between drug addiction and early-years students' learning difficulties at a public school in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which is an important reference of violence and drug abuse in the city where it is located. The study also aimed to identify early years students' characteristics by considering the socio-cultural reality in which they live. We included early-years teachers and students, to whom a semi-structured interview and a questionnaire on the study-related issues were respectively applied. The results showed that there is an association between students who experience drug addiction in their everyday life and the learning difficulties encountered in school. Therefore, it is essential that teachers be provided with training that enables them to work with students who have learning difficulties and to address these issues in teaching.