In Santa Catarina state, in the 1930s, normal schools underwent reorganization with the intention of giving a scientific character to education. Psychology, biology and sociology are the sciences that influence the educational thought. This article examines the teaching programs of educational psychology (1937/1939) and pedagogy (1937) of a teacher education course. These programs evidence that there was a concern with the stages of child development and their characteristics, and that the school was expected to recognize differences and tailor teaching to each child's development. Teachers were expected to acquire scientific knowledge and apply it to make teaching as pragmatic as possible.
teacher education; psychology; science education
