Changes in teaching practice for citizenship-based learning

Abstract

Context: This article analyzes the need for changes in teaching practices to strengthen geography education, drawing upon investigations into the initial teacher training of undergraduate students and the use of various representations—including cartographic ones—associated with the concepts of "city" and "landscape." It is hypothesized that transformations in these practices will occur when initial teacher training fosters diversified ways of thinking and didactic strategies that move beyond traditional methodologies deeply rooted in school culture. Methods: Developed with support from the CNPq, this research adopts a qualitative and interpretive approach, examining the practices and outputs of undergraduate students within initial teacher training contexts, with a specific focus on the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor dimensions of didactic activities. Results: The article demonstrates that the cognitive dimension of didactic activities can mobilize mental operations and reasoning skills through concrete actions—particularly when articulated with the "geographic situation" as a starting point for instruction—thereby fostering meaningful, powerful learning oriented toward civic education.