Educational texts and contexts that work: Discussing the optimization of a model of pedagogic practice

This study starts from research that intended to find out answers to the major problem of improving the learning of students, especially the disadvantaged, without decreasing the level of conceptual demand. The research has been focused on family’s and school’s learning contexts, teachers’ education contexts and also on the contexts of syllabuses’ and textbooks’ construction. Various models have been constructed to direct the research and to analyse the results. Along the whole process of research, a model that conceptualises a school pedagogic practice that seems to have the potential to lead children to success at school was achieved, narrowing the gap between children from differentiated social backgrounds. Bernstein’s theory of pedagogic discourse has provided the main theoretical framework to the studies. This paper intends to: (a) present the model and describe its characteristics; (b) present the model at work; (c) explain how the model can be extended to the contexts of teacher education and curricula and syllabuses construction; and (d) discuss the optimization of the model in order that a more precise model will be tested in future research.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT