CURRICULAR FLEXIBILITY

a stimulus to change pedagogical practices

Abstract

The curricular flexibility constitutes a practice of autonomy for schools and teachers in the management of the curriculum in accordance with the students needs and the cultural heritage they have to acquire. In Portugal, this curricular flexibility was recently reinforced to guarantee the quality of the learning of all students and their success in school. This fact challenges teachers to change their mentality and their teaching practices, as these have to be structured by problems related to the programmatic content, or that result from the student’s experiences in society. Problem-based learning is a possibility for the development of citizens with the skills required by the current society.