SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING RELEVANT HISTORICAL CHARACTERS IN FUTURE CHILEAN HISTORY TEACHERS

Abstract

The article analyzes the representations of a group of students regarding the characters they consider most relevant in world history and that of their own country. The sample included students in their first undergraduate year in History, Geography, and Social Sciences (n=35; age=19.97) at a university located in the Region of Araucanía, Chile. The study used a qualitative methodological approach, organized in terms of a basic case study design. The method of natural semantic networks and the content analysis of open-ended questionnaires were applied. The results evidence representations of a marked eurocentric and androcentric nature, as well as others that question the prevailing order of things. The implications of these findings for initial teacher training are discussed.