IN-SERVICE EDUCATION OF RURAL TEACHERS FROM AN ECO-EDUCATIONAL, TRANSDISCIPLINARY, AND INCLUSIVE PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study addresses the theoretical debate on Rural Education based on the transdisciplinary and
eco-education (Galvani’s écoformation) frameworks, with the goal of assessing their contributions to
in-service education that can capacitate rural teachers working in the state of Alagoas, Brazil, to be
inclusive educators. The research questions are: 1) What are the similarities between Rural Education
and the Transdisciplinarity and Eco-education approaches? 2) Based on the similarities between
Rural Education, Transdisciplinarity, and Eco-education, how can rural teachers’ in-service education
capacitate them to be inclusive educators? The methodology consists of bibliographical research.
Results show that Rural Education tenets – ecology, valuing learner’s relationship with nature and
with the land (a farmer’s life-source) – are similar to the principles of both Eco-education and
Transdisciplinarity. Another similarity between the three is the articulation of various knowledges that
expands beyond school walls, since Rural Education regards as important not only disciplinary
knowledges, but also the knowledge about the connection between different school subjects and
especially learner’s knowledges that are not linked to any subject, but instead to local values and
ways of life. In this context, preparing rural teachers to be inclusive educators based on
Transdisciplinarity and Eco-education tenets must consider the social context, one’s complex
relationship with oneself and with one’s environment, and continuously promote reflexive and
dialogical practices.