Teaching with (Con)Meaning: Active Methodologies and Pedagogical Innovation in Teacher Education

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of active methodologies in Higher Education, with an emphasis on pedagogical innovation and teacher training. That is, it systematically examines how these methodologies are conceptualized and implemented in initial teacher training courses, specifically in the context of Brazilian Higher Education. The research stems from the need to reconfigure educational practices in Higher Education institutions, promoting meaningful learning, student autonomy, and the training of reflective teachers. The theoretical review includes classic authors such as Dewey, Piaget, and Freire, as well as contemporary contributions, highlighting the integration of digital technologies and collaborative strategies. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative approach, based on document analysis and the construction of a didactic proposal, which is realized in the planning of six lessons based on active methodologies, applicable to the training of teachers for the 1st and 2nd cycles of elementary education. It concludes that such methodologies constitute a path to a more participatory, critical, and transformative higher education, capable of responding to the training needs identified in the Portuguese context.