Researching Teachers' Memories through Oral Testimonies: the Sociodynamic Perspective

Considering the school as a social microcosm, oral testimonies emerge as valuable means of investigating into the intricate realm of school culture and the socio-political dynamics within educational institutions. Through focusing on studies of memory of teachers and their practices in a interdisciplinary approach, this contribution proposes the use of a sociodynamic perspective as a point of theoretical and methodological reflection on what is remembered and how it is remembered.
The Sociodynamic Perspective is a comprehensive framework for analysing oral testimonies, by recognising the intricate interaction of time, space, conditions, and their effects, and by layering the interaction between episodic, semantic, and biographical memories to examine how different memory systems shape the structure and content of oral accounts. In this sense, the Sociodynamic Perspective offers a holistic perspective for unravelling the complexities of oral testimonies, providing a multidimensional approach for studies of memory.
This contribution will explore the oral testimonies from two studies, using different analytical coding systems: one from Portugal using microanalysis, as teachers recall their school memories from the Estado Novo period, showcasing disciplinary practices in school, and reflecting on the socio-political scenario and its implications; and one from Luxembourg using content analysis, as teachers present their perceptions about the role of science in primary education, highlighting how contextual dimensions have sculpted their way of working and their practices. These studies demonstrate the need for a framework where the context shifts from background to point of interest, taking into account its different layers. Therefore, the oral testimonies are explored as sources for historical reconstruction, where the "looking back" needs to consider the dialogue of the past and the present and their respective contexts.