Banca de DEFESA: Albino Guirrengane Nhaposse

THE SPACE OF THE HUMANITIES IN INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION IN MOZAMBIQUE

Humanities. Teacher training. Professional training. Human development

This research discusses the role of the humanities in the initial training of primary school teachers in Mozambique, problematizing the undervaluation of the humanities in this process. The teacher's role is crucial for the transmission of values, but current teacher training is impacted by neoliberalism, which imposes a technical, instrumental, and immediate rationality on educational systems. In Mozambique, the initial training model ("12th grade + 3 years") focuses on technical-didactic training, predominantly oriented towards the development of technical skills, resulting in the neglect of a broader education. Given this scenario, the central question of this research is: what is the role of the humanities in the initial training of primary school teachers in Mozambique? The study proposes situating teacher training at the higher education level, conceiving it as a privileged space for a broader education that articulates the technical and human dimensions. Anchored in the theoretical framework of Martha Nussbaum, the research argues that the humanities are vital for the development of critical thinking, democratic citizenship, and narrative imagination. Methodologically, the research is based on hermeneutics, using interviews with managers from MINEDH and questionnaires with university professors. The results indicate that participants recognize the humanities as an essential foundation for the development of critical thinking, argumentative skills, and a broadened worldview, being crucial for the training of teachers capable of dealing with cultural diversity. The research concludes that valuing the humanities is a consistent alternative for the professional and social development of teaching and for the promotion of democratic education.