“But there is another way to do it, right?”

curriculum documents and teaching practice in the context of rural schools

Abstract

This article aims to investigate, based on teachers’ narratives, whether the curricular policy and the Political-Pedagogical Project (PPP) of rural schools in a municipality in the Triângulo Mineiro region favor the recognition of numeracy practices related to peasant social practices. The qualitative research was conducted with six teachers working in rural schools in the municipal network. Semi-structured interviews were used as data production instruments, which were analyzed in light of the concepts of teacher literacy, numeracy, and studies on curricular policies. The teachers’ narratives reveal gaps between the prescribed curricular proposal and the pedagogical practices of teachers working in rural schools, although individual efforts to mediate between the prescribed curriculum and the reality experienced by students are noticeable. There is also a lack of teacher training focused on the specificities of Rural Education, which compromises the articulation between official documents and teaching practices. It is concluded that it is urgent to develop curricular proposals that take into account local knowledge and rural culture, particularly to promote Mathematical Education for the Countryside, as well as the promotion of ongoing teacher training for the development of a critical education and appreciation of the Countryside.