Percepciones de los docentes de las unidades educativas de la ciudad de Cuenca sobre la importancia de la enseñanza de la asignatura de estudios sociales

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the perceptions regarding to the importance of teaching Social Studies of middle school teachers in Cuenca, Ecuador. The specific objectives were to identify teachers' perceptions of the importance of teaching Social Studies, and describe the experience of the teacher's educational biography as a formative element of these perceptions. The research adopted a qualitative approach and analyzed categories such as: teachers' educational biography, teachers' perceptions and beliefs about Social Studies, and teaching practices in Social Studies. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers from two public schools. The information obtained was processed using the Atlas Ti.22. program. The results revealed the influence of teachers' educational backgrounds on their teaching practices. Specifically, it was observed that teachers' perceptions of the importance of teaching Social Studies are the result of a connection between their formative experience and their current educational practice. It was found that a traditional, memoristic model of educational predominate among the interviewees, which is related to the didactic vision under which they were trained; a situation that dificults the development of historical consciousness and critical thinking in students. Thus, aspects were identified that could be addressed in future processes of teacher training in the didactics of Social Studies.