UNIVERSITY TEACHING AND TEACHER KNOWLEDGE: EDUCATION AND PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES OF BACHELOR-DEGREE PROFESSORS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Teaching in higher education is a complex activity that requires not only mastery of specific knowledge in a given field, but also pedagogical knowledge capable of supporting the planning, development, and assessment of teaching and learning processes. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the educational background and pedagogical practices of professors with bachelor’s degrees who taught in a Biological Sciences teacher education program at a university in southern Piauí, Brazil. This qualitative and descriptive study involved two professors with bachelor’s degrees. Data were collected through classroom observations and semi-structured interviews and were analyzed according to Bardin’s content analysis approach. The results showed that the professors had academic training in their respective fields of knowledge, including master’s and doctoral degrees, but lacked specific pedagogical training for teaching in higher education. The observed practices were predominantly based on lectures, although the professors employed different resources and strategies, such as experiments, hands-on materials, videos, and exercises. The findings also indicated that the knowledge mobilized by the professors was largely constructed from their experiences in everyday classroom practice. It is concluded that mastery of specific knowledge is essential but insufficient for qualified teaching in higher education. Therefore, pedagogical training is necessary to promote the articulation of scientific knowledge, teaching knowledge, planning, teaching methodologies, and assessment.