Education for Emancipating Teachers

Each educative practice always rests on an explicit or implicit philosophy of education that can be aimed at promoting very different political and social scenarios. However, the comprehension and discussion about such premises of educational activity are often dismissed in the education of future teachers. As a consequence, a hegemonic thought may be implicitly endorsed, which is commonly known as the hidden curriculum, when teachers and chosen content authors project what they perceive as correct political and social ideas, often unaware of such positioning as a form of ideology. In a time in which the tremendous progress of the information society demands an urgent redefinition of the teachers’ role, this chapter proves that its overall reconceptualization is needed in order to foster meaningful educational processes. Accordingly, this chapter can inform teacher education and programmes exploring education for social justice by reflecting on what is helpful for coming as close as possible to an idea of emancipatory and emancipated teachers, based on five key aspects related to the scope and aim of the educative process (Scotton, Stud Philos Educ 39:71–84, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-019-09699-4 , 2020). These aspects take into account the content of the education process, the rational comprehension of the apprentice, her vital and emotional responses and, consequently, the definition of her intellectual and political position in the social world. In particular, this chapter proposes three principles that can constitute an emancipatory process of reflection and education during teachers’ university studies and/or for the purpose of teacher training.