Didactic knowledge in action: current challenges

Abstract

Didactics will always constitute an unstable field in which a balance is sought between the vertices of the classic triangle: the teacher – the student(s) who learn – the subject or discipline to be taught/learned. Present times are marked by enormous challenges posed to didactics, in which the massive transit from classroom teaching to online teaching is increasing, due to the imposition of the COVID 19 pandemic. But older questions persist, which also deserve an answer. The main objective of this article is to critically examine the didactic implications of two documents that, in Portugal, guide the teaching – learning process in basic and secondary education: the Student Profile at the end of the 12-year compulsory education and the Essential Learnings to be carried out during this period. The Curriculum Autonomy and Flexibility Project, in development since 2017, enshrines the guiding principles for the actions of schools, teachers and students to achieve this profile and the outcomes associated with it. Adopting a critical perspective on the field of didactics, the intention is to map those context variables that can most contribute to the project's success/failure. The data obtained are interpreted with contributions from research in didactics, curriculum theory, sociology, learning psychology, as well as scientific knowledge on teacher education. The methodology used is that of document analysis and content analysis. The result is an essay that could encourage researchers, teacher educators and teachers to reflect on didactic innovation.