Dermeval saviani and the historical-critical pedagogy

Abstract

This article aims to present the main characteristics of the Historical- Critical Pedagogy as developed by Dermeval Saviani in two fundamental books: Escola e Democracia and Pedagogia Histórico-Crítica. In those works, the author does a critical discussion about the most important pedagogic perspectives, classifying them in two major trends: the non-critical pedagogic Theories (traditional pedagogy, technical-based pedagogy and Escola Nova pedagogy); and the critical reproductivist Theories (theories which consider that school is a symbolical violence; others which consider that it is an ideological state apparatus; or the dualistic theory of teaching). Saviani says that Escola e Democracia might be considered a preliminary introduction to Historical-Critical Pedagogy, as long as its criticisms have been already made according to this theoretical perspective. The second work reflections, moreover, had been formulated as a response to the discussion generated by Escola e Democracia´s release.