A Teachers College and a Method. The initiative of Fray Matías de Córdova in Chiapas (1828)

Abstract

This paper is the product of a deeper research work on teaching initiatives conducted in the State of Chiapas in Mexico during the nineteenth century, and focuses on the idea that gave birth to the Teachers College of Primary Education, founded in Ciudad Real by Fray Matias de Cordova in 1828. The main objective of the research is to know, describe, analyze, and understand the most relevant characteristics of this institution, as well as the literacy method created by its founder, and successfully applied in the institution. A second purpose is to contextualize this Teachers College with regard to others that arose in Mexico during the same period, such as Oaxaca or Zacatecas. Finally, we intend to link this initiative with educational trends of that time, particularly with the Lancasterian Primary School, and also analyze its implications.The method was based on the review of bibliographic and hemerographic documents. The theoretical framework consisted of the history of the institution, the new history of pedagogical ideas from Antonio Novoa`s perspective, and a hermeneutical model that allowed delving into the characteristics of the first Teacher College of Chiapas. From this research, it can be concluded that although the Teachers College only ran for a short time, Matias de Cordova`s teaching method had a wider significance, since it continued to be used throughout the nineteenth century and even into the early twentieth century, in the State of Chiapas and elsewhere in Mexico.In sum, the present study provides relevant knowledge about the history of education in the State of Chiapas during the first half of the nineteenth century.