Abstract
In Portugal, the Curriculo Nacional do Ensino Basico [National Curriculum for Primary Education] was published in 2001. This document reorganises primary level education from a curricular point of view. It is a key reference document for curricular management in Portuguese schools and outlines guidelines for the whole set of educational experiences as well as the core and specific skills that students are to develop in each subject or subject area. Since the implementation of this curriculum reorganisation, working documents have been produced by the Geography Department of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto, reflecting the interpretation of documents issued by the Ministry of Education and providing guidelines regarding teacher training in this subject area. These documents were shared among students, future teachers and also trainee supervisors during training sessions. Centred on issues concerning the National Curriculum for Primary Education and Curriculum Guidelines for Geography, this paper aims to present not only the reasons that led the authors of the Geography Curriculum to provide certain options, but also the (re) interpretations made by Geography teachers who graduated from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto as regards the fulfilment of the prescribed curriculum at national level, that is, in their professional teaching practice.
Highlights
Within the scope of Education, namely Primary Education1, Portugal implemented curriculum changes at the beginning of the new millennium
The Curriculum Reorganisation of Primary Education introduced in January 2001 established a National Curriculum for this level of education, which is organised around both general and specific skills for each subject area, presenting further suggestions for development through educational experiences to be provided to students
On initiating the interpretation of data regarding the voices of the authors of the Curriculum Guidelines for Geography, it became clear to us that for these authors the potential of this National Curriculum lies in the freedom given to teachers in managing the curriculum according to the context in which they are found, giving them autonomy to become the designers according to local realities and the students for whom it is intended
Summary
Within the scope of Education, namely Primary Education, Portugal implemented curriculum changes at the beginning of the new millennium. During the implementation process of the National Curriculum, the Geography Department of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto produced papers and other working documents within the context of initial teacher training, reflecting an analysis and interpretation of the documents issued by the line ministry. These documents aimed to help prepare future teachers who, in addition to having specialised in Geography, must become curriculum designers and managers. They should be able to plan curriculum situations that are suitable to the contexts that characterise the school and make up actual representations of the teaching profession
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