Objectives

The project establishes as its object of study the literacy campaigns carried out in Portugal between 1974 and 1976 by the National Union of Portuguese Students Commission (Pro-UNEP)/Comissão Pró União Nacional dos EstudantesmPortugueses (Pró-UNEP) and the Alfa Movement - Students' Work and Literacy Brigades/Movimento Alfa - Brigadas Estudantis de Trabalho e Alfabetização.

The time frame of the research will span the period between 2 June 1974 and 30 September 1976 - the date of the last literacy campaign organised by the Alfa Movement, according to the information currently available.

The methodological approach will give relevance to the collection of oral testimonies from students/alfabetizadores, student association leaders and party leaders, The results of the project will be shared and communicated through traditional academic formats and online communication materials, following the principles of Open Science. In addition, in order to value the social character of memory and of the oral testimony as a historical source in educational research, a website and an audio-visual tour of curated stories and insights will be created, with the aim of triggering reflection and involving the public, including younger audiences and in particular the students, in both the history of these literacy campaigns and the stories of the university students/alfabetizadores, association leaders and party leaders.

Research team

• Ana Maria Seixas – CES, University of Coimbra, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences.
• Arlinda Cabral – LusoGlobe, Lusófona University - Lisbon University Center.
• Daniel Bart (Consultant) - University Toulouse - Jean Jaurès, UMR EFTS.
• Ernesto Candeias Martins - CeiED, Polytechnic University of Castelo Branco.
• Jacinto Serrão – CeiED, Lusófona University - Lisbon University Center ESEL-IPLUSO.
• José Viegas Brás (Co-Principal Investigator) - CeiED, Lusófona University - Lisbon University Center, ESEL-IPLUSO.
• Maria Neves Gonçalves – CeiED, ESEL-IPLUSO
• Paulo Ferreira - Lusófona University - Lisbon University Center.
• Teresa Teixeira Lopo (Principal Investigator) - CeiED, Lusófona University - Lisbon University Center.

Collaborative institution

CES – Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra