Abstract:

This study aimed to understand the beliefs about teaching and learning in contexts of poverty that have in-service teachers, student teachers and teacher educators, in order to contribute for the improvement of the training of teachers serving the more vulnerable school population. A sample of 1,351 participants, consisting of 432 student teachers, 828 teachers and 91 in-service teacher trainers were compared, who responded in writing to a series of Likert-type questionnaires and open questions.

We studied this issue because much of the knowledge possessed by teachers is subjective, more like a belief. Although beliefs alone do not explain everything the teacher does in the classroom, they seem to influence the origin, structure and degree of truth that teacher attributed to the knowledge they use to make decisions about teaching and learning.

But, what kind of beliefs are relevant to explain the expectations for teaching and learning in contexts of poverty and how these interact with each other? A relationship between three types of beliefs was proposed:
(1) epistemic beliefs,
(2) beliefs about poverty,
(3) beliefs about teaching and learning of early literacy and early math in poverty contexts.

Two explanatory models were evaluated using structural equations. It was found that the best model is explaining influence of epistemic beliefs over beliefs about teaching and learning, but mediated by beliefs about poverty.

The results obtained by student teachers, teachers and teacher trainers were compared and found to:
1) about epistemic beliefs, in all groups predominated the practical evaluativism vision,
2) even though all three groups have a high appreciation of the importance of this knowledge in the life of these children, they show traditional beliefs about teaching initial literacy and mathematics in contexts of poverty,
3) Slightly more than half of individuals of the three groups have a stereotypical view of the vulnerable school, but teachers have a higher percentage,
4) teacher educators reject the essentialist view of children in situations of poverty, as well as with respect to prejudice on literacy learning and effective engagement of families living in conditions of poverty, while students and teachers are rather undecided,
5) there were differences in favor of student teachers and professors who are studying or have studied in traditional universities (with entry requirements), and teachers who have the title of special education,
6) teacher educators who have a doctoral degree, have more complex beliefs that those with master's degree or graduate,
7) In traditional universities there are higher percentage of instructors with doctoral degrees.

The data show that, despite the current discourses on equity and quality and the progress in educational reforms, we have not yet been able to change the beliefs of in service teachers who serve the most vulnerable populations. It is also noted that these beliefs remain among those preparing to be teachers and among their own trainers. Initial education and profesional development programs of teachers should reflect on the role of beliefs about the practice of teachers, especially those who work in schools belonging to contexts of poverty and obtain the lowest learning outcomes.

Keywords:

Epistemic beliefs, beliefs about teaching and learning, literacy, mathematics, in-service teachers, student teachers, teacher educators, poverty.