Abstract

This research, located in the context of a regional university that trains teachers, has the objective of studying the representations future teachers have of the student figure, the teacher, and the school context. We opted for a methodology of qualitative type. The work was set in a dialogue area with 55 elementary pedagogy students who develop their professional practice processes in different contexts. From the semi-structured interview technique, with life story contributions, the participants narrated their experience. The results showed a complex teacher’s work, due to changes in the student profile, which represents clear opposition to the traditional concept of authority and to a school that reproduces the symbolic domination. The information and communication technologies (ICT) also affect the result: they put a strain on the comprehension of the teacher task and the rationality with which this task is assumed. The study opens a discussion space for the university institution to revise the formation process of future teachers, allowing developing the required skills for a better insertion in school contexts with increasing demands.

Keywords: teaching practices; representations; postmodernity; authority; technology; Chile