Textbooks of Normal Schools as a source of historical research

Abstract

In this text, we focus on textbooks, which are artifacts of school culture, to analyze those used in Normal Schools between 1940 and 1970. The methodology used is the historical approach centered on literature review and documentary research on the period from 1940 to 1970, focusing on the textbooks of Normal Schools. The time frame covers the period when there was an expansion of Normal Schools in Brazil. The results of the study presented in this text indicate that theoretical assumptions emphasize the importance of textbooks as a source of studies in the History of Education and as a cultural artifact, considering the relevance of school culture and the environment of Normal Schools for teacher training and Brazil's historical and social situation in that period.