Education in neoliberal times: problematizing teaching discourses about “doing differently"

Abstract

This article problematizes the statements of Mathematics teachers about the constant need to do something different when teaching. We are dedicated to answering the question: What contemporary discourses support the movement of mathematics teachers who always seek to do something different in teaching? Thus, interviews were carried out with mathematics teachers in schools in Novo Hamburgo, in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre. The analysis of the results was carried out using a Foucaultian perspective of discourse analysis. We observed that these discourses are associated with a neoliberal logic and that the concept of "doing differently" is often confused with innovation. We also observed that these discourses can be understood as disruptive, as they break with already consolidated teaching approaches. This search for innovation may be related to student motivation and teachers self-motivation. We also realized that the search for doing things differently, the search of motivation and self-motivation can be tiring.