LITERACY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: AN ANALYSIS IN LIGHT OF TEACHER TRAINING AND ACADEMIC PRACTICES

Abstract

This article aims to discuss academic literacy, considering that it goes beyond simple literacy, involving social practices of writing in the university context. While the traditional model (of skills) prioritizes grammatical rules, the academic socialization model focuses on adaptation to specific genres, but without critical reflection. The academic literacies model, on the other hand, understands writing as participation in discursive communities, considering power, identity, and authority. Challenges persist, such as the discrepancy between texts read and produced by students and the assumption that they already master academic conventions. The proposed solution is to integrate the teaching of literacy into the disciplines, with contextualized practices and continuous assessment. However, students face challenges, such as the divergence between the complexity of the texts read and the simplicity of those produced, in addition to the lack of integration of literacy in the curricula. Teacher training is also an obstacle, as many Pedagogy courses prioritize management over pedagogical practice, and teachers often adopt meaningless approaches, without stimulating critical reflection. To overcome these gaps, it is proposed to create support centers for academic writing, integrate theory and practice in interdisciplinary projects, and make critical use of technologies as literacy tools.