Hunger and prejudice. A study of development education in teachers training

Abstract

University education is key for social transformation to promote the development of attitudes and social and moral values, such as social justice, solidarity and respect .Currently, it is urgent to have an education based on analysis and reflection, a critical educai on, committed to the world around us, which allows people to become active subjects, remarkable presences in the world, people that can be protagonists in the transformation of the society in which they live. Development Education (DE), as a transforming educational process, committed to the defense and promotion of all people's human rights, seeking ways of action at individual, local and global levels to achieve human development (Boni, 2005, p.316) is key to foster a sense of belonging to a global community of equals. In teacher training, it is essential to develop this approach in order for the future teachers to commit themselves in achieving a global citizenship education (Banks, 2008; Hanson, 2010; Smith & Laurie, 2011). In the Teaching degree at the University of Valladolid, DE is part of the subject Education for Peace and Equality taught in basic training, which all students must take when starting college contents. The goal is not only for future teachers to acquire knowledge, but also to generate critical attitudes and promote involvement and social participation to complete the three fundamental dimensions in a process of teaching and learning: cognitive, procedural and attitudinal. Hunger is a major worldwide problem. Although it seems a distant reality, 795 million people worldwide are chronically hungry and in Spain although it is difficult to quantify, numerous cases of child malnutrition risk have been identified by social intervention organizations. The analysis of this reality must start from the knowledge and ideas on the subject that students have initially, in order to promote a comprehensive knowledge and understanding that generates restlessness and need to action. In this contribution we show how we work the terrible reality we have just described. It refers to the educational process carried out with three groups of future Nursery and Primary Education teachers, and the results obtained. We take the basis of a proposal from Sequeiros (1997), which uses group interviews and a participatory research techniques consisting of expressing the degree of agreement with a series of statements, and argue about them. Our study shows how the knowledge and preconceptions that students have about hunger in the world are based on topics that favor social inequality. However, after receiving specific training in DE, they significantly changed their world view and therefore this problem. Based on this experience we present an action proposal seeking the integration of three key actions: development of critical judgment, being able to argue their own opinions, and the critical ability to understand and find the root of the problems, as well as the generation of a commitment attitude to take action.