DISCURSIVE REPRESENTATIONS OF TEACHERS FROM MS ALFABETIZA PROGRAM

Abstract

In this article, we undertake a critical examination of the discourses embedded in the instructional materials of the MS Alfabetiza Program, with a particular emphasis on the messages conveyed to educators. Through a Foucauldian lens, our analysis seeks to elucidate the discursive formations and subject positions that emerge from these materials, investigating how specific discourses are constructed and sustained within the educational context, and how they, in turn, shape the positions and identities of teachers. The didactic materials under scrutiny serve as pivotal instruments in pedagogical practice, functioning not merely as conduits of knowledge, but also as purveyors of particular worldviews, values, and norms that underpin educational discourse. Theoretically, our research draws upon the works of prominent scholars in the field of Discourse Analysis, including Foucault (2008), Orlandi (2005), and Coracini (2010), among others. Methodologically, we examine how the discourses pertaining to teachers, as articulated in the instructional materials, contribute to the constitution of specific subject positions and intersect with underlying pedagogical conceptions. Our findings reveal that the discourses salient in the MS Alfabetiza materials illuminate the complex power dynamics that pervade educational settings, thereby offering a nuanced understanding of the social and political implications of literacy education.