Turning learners into teachers: the experience of doing a school textbook

Abstract

Student-centred approaches have underscored the value of active methodologies in fostering deeper learning and professional awareness in higher education. This paper presents a case study conducted in the master’s programme in Dance Teaching at the Lisbon School of Dance, within the curricular unit Contemporary History of Education. Students, working in groups, were tasked with designing a school textbook based on the contents studied throughout the semester. The activity aimed to position students as novice teachers, engaging them in the selection, organisation, and didactic transposition of historical educational knowledge for a school context. Grounded in a brief literature review on active learning and the pedagogical functions of textbooks, the study analyses the textbooks produced by three student groups, as well as the peer feedback exchanged. The findings indicate that textbook construction promotes a more integrated understanding of course content, supports the development of planning and instructional design skills, and encourages creative pedagogical thinking. Moreover, peer review fostered critical reflection, constructive dialogue, and heightened awareness of teaching demands among future dance teachers.