INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES OF MINAS GERAIS

ABSTRACT

The article addresses special education within the curricula of teacher education programs at public higher education institutions in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It aims to discuss the guiding concepts of the courses, based on studies about teacher training in the country. It also presents bibliographic surveys and analyses of courses, as well as normative documents. It was found that special education is generally approached through a medical and psychopedagogical conception, with some inclusion of broader aspects such as political, social, and economic factors. However, the reading of the course descriptions alone did not reveal discussions that enable the mediation between the complexity of the historical context and the individual embedded within this context as a means to challenge and transform reality.

Keywords
Special education; School inclusion; Teacher training; Initial teacher education; Curriculum