Historical situated cognition and the evaluation criteria of textbooks in Brazil

Abstract

This investigation covers the qualitative analysis of the evaluation criteria of History textbooks in High School, proposed by the Brazilian government in the document Public Notice PNLD 2015 for 2018. We have adopted the methodology of qualitative investigation of study in the case and some elements from content analysis in the bibliographical and documental research. The fundamental question that has guided the route of this investigation was to verify if, among the evaluation criteria of Brazilian textbooks, elements related to the learning process whose nature is based on “historical situated cognition” have been incorporated. In order to define the empirical range of our investigation, we have selected for analysis the criteria used in the evaluation process of History textbooks dedicated to High School students, whose age range is between 15 to 17 years old. The data categorization was performed through those proposed for the field of Human Sciences and also, more specifically, for History. The categories were selected guided by the theoretical frame we have selected and can be summarized in: 1: Temporal orientation; 2. Multiperspectivity; 3. Work with sources. We have observed that the conception gap of what “historical thought” is, as well as the criteria adopted, indicate more a concern with methodological and conceptual aspects from the field of Human Sciences than a more explicit criteria delimitation that could set boundaries to a didactic work, whose objective would be to learn how to think historically. It is believed that the explanation of the criteria that form historical though could qualify, in a more objective way, the learning process and, therefore, the History teaching, towards a historical literacy, that would put the young High School student as a citizen from the world and from his time.