Parents, legacies, and teaching: connections between family educational background and pedagogical practices in adult education

Abstract

We know that the family relationships of students in EJA (Education for Youth and Adults) influence their educational trajectories, but to what extent does the educational level of teachers’ parents impact the context of pedagogical practices in EJA classrooms? Thus, the objective of this research was to analyze the educational level of teachers’ parents in relation to the pedagogical practices developed in the initial stage (literacy and early years) of EJA in the Maciço do Baturité/CE region. The hypothesis is that the life stories and educational backgrounds of teachers’ parents influence their pedagogical practices, creating a context that fosters humanizing actions, as well as a sense of welcome and empathy toward students. The theoretical framework is based on Charlot (2000), Freire (1987), Dieb (2025), and Ferreira (2024), whose concepts regarding the “relationship with knowledge” make it possible to analyze the different contexts and relationships of the subject in and with the world, and the meanings attributed to everyday practices. The methodology used is qualitative, with a descriptive and field-based approach, conducted through semi-structured interviews with teachers. The results suggest that, in many cases, the pedagogical practices developed by teachers in EJA classrooms resonate with the knowledge built throughout their life trajectories, especially those shaped by their family relationships and by their parents’ schooling.