Between political engagement and institutional management:

the meanings of teaching in youth and adult education (EJA) through the formative trajectories of Montes Claros teachers

Abstract

This article analyzes the meanings attributed to teaching in Youth and Adult Education (EJA) based on the formative narratives of two public school teachers from the municipality of Montes Claros, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. With distinct professional trajectories—one oriented toward political-pedagogical activism and the other aligned with the institutionalization of teaching practice—the participants reveal plural ways of constructing a professional identity within EJA. The research adopts a qualitative approach, grounded in biographical-narrative methodology (Monteagudo, 2014; Nóvoa, 2007), and is based on narrative interviews (Bauer & Gaskell, 2002), analyzed through Content Analysis (Bardin, 2011). Based on the categories of teaching identity, formative experiences, pedagogical practices, and the meanings attributed to EJA, the study identifies both convergences and contrasts in the teachers’ conceptions and practices. The findings highlight that teaching in EJA is shaped by symbolic, political, and pedagogical disputes, reflecting diverse ways of interpreting the educational modality, its subjects, and its goals. The study reaffirms the importance of listening to teachers’ life histories as a formative tool and as a means of valuing EJA as a specific domain of professional practice.