From self-writings to the constitution of teacher professionality: between memories and counter-memories of Geography teachers

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the memories and counter-memories of Geography teachers in basic education through narratives that reveal their life trajectories, educational backgrounds, and professional practices, in order to understand the constitution of their teacher professionality. To this end, a qualitative approach was adopted, based on the (auto)biographical method and a methodological path encompassing both theoretical research and fieldwork. The theoretical research consisted of a bibliographic review focused on the following axes: Geography teaching, teacher education, and (auto)biographical research. The fieldwork was conducted through narrative interviews with two Geography teachers working in Altamira, Pará, Brazil. The thematic analysis of their (auto)biographical narratives was organized around the following categories: personal life, education, and professional practice. It was observed that the participants’ personal life histories are reflected in their conceptions of Education, Geography teaching, and teacher education, which guide their pedagogical practices. The main difference between the teachers’ conceptions stems from the participation of one of them in social movements, which is reflected in a broader, more politicized, and collective perspective on Education and Geography teaching, grounded in human and social formation. Therefore, the revelation of the singular-plural identity in each teacher’s narrative made it possible to understand how teacher professionality is woven throughout life across different formative spatio-temporal contexts.