Cidade e formação cidadã no ensino de Geografia: desafios curriculares para o Estado do Mato Grosso

Abstract

In geographical education, curricular issues are influenced by global and national dynamics, although they take on specific forms in the local context. In this context, the following research question arises: to what extent do official curricular policies interact with academic scholarship to promote citizenship education through the teaching of Geography? To address this question, this research sought to understand how the themes of teaching the city and citizenship formation are addressed in the curricular documents (namely the BNCC, DRC-MT, and Sistema Maxi de Ensino handouts) of Geography for Elementary Education (Final Years) in the state of Mato Grosso (MT). Furthermore, how academic production on teaching Geography, which addresses the themes of teaching the city and citizenship formation, relates to the basic education curriculum (Final Years) at MT. The methodological approach was based on qualitative research – bibliographic and documentary research – using Ball's Policy Cycle (1992) and Bardin's Content Analysis (2009). The results demonstrated that the theoretical and conceptual bases underpinning discussions on teaching about the city, citizenship, and curriculum, although influential in academic literature, have difficulties transposing into curricular documents. Furthermore, the analysis of academic production confirmed the importance of teaching about the city for citizenship formation and the challenges regarding the need for a critical and contextualized approach to urban space. The BNCC presents a structure that theoretically recognizes the importance of teaching about the city for citizenship formation, partially aligning itself with the propositions of academic research on the role of Geography in citizenship formation. However, its approach proved to be more prescriptive than reflective, distancing itself from academic propositions that defend a critical perspective on the teaching of Geography, highlighting the tensions between the declared intentions and the effective practices of curricular policies. In turn, the DRC-MT presents an attempt at regional contextualization that dialogues with the propositions of academic research on considering local specificities in teaching Geography. However, the literal reproduction of many BNCC guidelines compromises this intention, confirming academic research studies on the recontextualization of curricular policies. The limited autonomy in local curriculum construction contrasts with academic propositions about the importance of curriculum contextualization. The Sistema Maxi handouts present the most significant distance from academic propositions. Its standardized and decontextualized approach directly contradicts academic propositions about the city as a space for living and social construction. The teaching material prioritizes quantitative and visible aspects of the city, neglecting fundamental issues such as inequality and spatial segregation, elements considered crucial for understanding urban space. The results and discussions presented in this work challenge some academic research premises, especially concerning curricular policies' capacity to promote effective changes in pedagogical practices. While some theorists argue for the transformative potential of curriculum, this research indicates that implementing curriculum policies can paradoxically reinforce traditional and decontextualized practices, mainly when mediated by standardized teaching materials. However, the questions raised in this study do not end here. At the same time, they serve more than to present definitive answers; they invite the academic and school community to keep the debate on the role of teaching geography in citizenship formation alive.