The paradoxes of the History and Social Sciences University Selection Test: Dilemmas and curricular and pedagogical decisions of Chilean teachers

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a case study that delved into the curricular and pedagogical dilemmas and decisions of three Chilean teachers who prepare their students to take the University Selection Test (PSU) in History, Geography and Social Sciences. The cases were three teachers who work in diverse socio-economic and institutional contexts, and who in the same academic year, teach two courses of the subject: one oriented to the preparation of the PSU and another that is free of this pressure. In order to describe and compare the curricular and pedagogical decisions they make in both settings, their classes were observed, the teaching material was collected, and their students were interviewed. To delve into the curricular and pedagogical dilemmas posed by the PSU, an interview was conducted with each teacher. The results of the study show that the PSU of History, Geography and Social Sciences force curricular and pedagogical decisions that are in contradiction with teacher's convictions, with the pedagogical needs of their students, and with the educational purposes declared in the curriculum of the subject. Also, their students are aware of these contradictions and of the frustration that they generate in their teachers.