From rurality to science teaching: Memories about Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco

Abstract

This work presents the history of Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE) and the emergence of Teacher’s Course Degree and the Department of Education, and their contribution to higher education in Pernambuco and Agriculture Teaching in Brazil. It is characterized as qualitative research, by configuring as descriptive purposes, through a bibliographic study that used techniques of documentary analysis, oral history, and a semi-structured interview. Three professors were interviewed, and one of them was the founder of the Department of Education. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed through oral history techniques. Based on reports perspective was possible to identify significant facts in University history as the essential Benedictines monks’ work, the work of “Centro Regional de Educação Técnico-Agrícola” (CRETA) and the “Centro de Formação e Treinamento de Professores Agrícolas” (CFPTA). Both centers were crucial for teacher formation and Agriculture Teaching Degree that later originated the Department of Education, and a posteriori created Science Degrees with the license, following the model of integrated Science system. This timeline enabled to perceive the growth of UFRPE as a Higher Education Institute, its role in acts of man field education, and opening for dialogue with other knowledge fields introducing new courses degree.

Keywords

• memory
• oral reports
• higher education
• science teaching.