Historical empathy (HE) is refers to deep inquiry in which academic and emotional responses to historical content are shaped through source analysis of the actions, motives, perspectives, and beliefs of people in the past. There are limited studies about whether students demonstrate HE through analysis of underrepresented historical figures. Additionally, studies are limited on how students’ social identities influence demonstration of HE. Consequently, there is a gap in the literature with regard to whether source analysis of underrepresented historical figures, as well as students’ social identities, impact demonstration of HE and critical race consciousness (CRC). Elizabeth Jennings is an example of an underrepresented historical figure. She was an African American teacher who was forcibly ejected from a streetcar due to her race in 1854. Jennings sued the streetcar company and won. Although Jennings set an important precedent for African Americans to use the legal system to challenge antebellum segregation ordinances, she remains a relatively obscure historical figure. The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not an instructional unit about Elizabeth Jennings called “The Elizabeth Jennings Project” (EJP) promotes conditions conducive for student demonstration of HE and/or CRC. A case study of one middle and two high school classes was conducted at one private, non-secular school in an urban area of the Northeast. Instructional methods that best promoted HE included in-class discussion and debate. Students provided insights about their social identities during focus group sessions with regard to how the EJP fostered HE and CRC.

Este trabalho apresenta uma pesquisa cujo objetivo é investigar os fatores que levam o professor a optar pela docência em educação especial. Partimos dos pressupostos de Vigotsky acerca das relações entre cognição e afeto, bem como consideramos o conceito de perezhivanie, introduzido pelo autor no que diz respeito à dimensão afetiva na aprendizagem. Para alcançarmos nosso objetivo solicitamos a quinze professores da educação especial de uma rede pública do Vale do Paraíba que respondessem a um questionário cujas questões versariam em torno dos motivos que os levaram a optar pela educação especial. O estudo nos revela que os professores de alunos especiais fizeram sua opção segundo suas experiências cognitivo-afetivas estabelecidas ao longo de sua trajetória pessoal e acadêmica. Os questionários foram analisados segundo a análise de conteúdo proposta por Bardin. Pela análise dos questionários constatamos que o envolvimento afetivo com a docência em educação especial começa a se delinear pela vivência de experiências com indivíduos que possuem alguma limitação temporária ou definitiva e que necessitam de alguma adaptação ou instrumentalização para atuar no meio social. Para a maioria dos entrevistados a docência nessa área exige constante significação e ressignificação de sua prática, pois, segundo a análise de suas respostas, o olhar que o docente deve ter em sua atuação é construído pela vivência de uma experiência emocional diária. Acreditamos que a presente dissertação pode contribuir para a reflexão acerca da docência na educação especial. Esse trabalho insere-se no projeto: Interfaces entre os aspectos cognitivos e afetivos na atuação do professor de línguas. / This paper presents a research whose aim is to investigate the factors that lead the teachers to opt for teaching in Special Education. We are based on Vigotskys assumptions about the relations between cognition and affection, as well we consider the concept of perezhivanie, introduced by the author with regard to the affective dimensions in learning. For reaching the proposed objective we asked to fifteen teachers from Special Education in a public network of Vale do Paraiba to answer to a questionnaire, whose questions were based on the reasons which lead them to choose the Special Education. This study show us that special students teachers made their option according the cognitive-affective experiences established along their personal and academic trajectory. The questionnaires were analyzed according the Content Analysis proposed by Bardin. By the questionnaire analysis we can see that the affective involvement with the Special Education teaching begin with the existence of experiences with individuals that have some temporary or definitive limitation and need some adaptation or help to act in the social environment. For most of the interviewees teaching in this area demands constant signification and resignification of their practice because, according the analysis of their answers, the view the teacher must have of his/her performance is built up in a daily emotional experience. We believe that this paper may contribute to the reflection on teaching in Special Education. This work is part of the project: Interfaces between cognitive and affective aspects in the work of the language teacher.