VYGOTSKY'S CULTURAL-HISTORICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND SPECIAL EDUCATION IN INDIGENOUS TERRITORY: CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SCHOOLING OF THE AKWẼ-XERENTE PEOPLE

Vollständiger Abstract

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This article aims to analyze the contributions of Lev Vygotsky's Cultural-Historical Psychology to understanding and strengthening Special Education in schools located in the Akwẽ-Xerente indigenous territory, in the municipality of Tocantínia, Tocantins, Brazil. This is a qualitative study of bibliographic and documentary nature, based on Vygotsky's own works, especially his writings on defectology, as well as on studies about indigenous school education and Brazilian special education. The discussion departs from the concepts of mediation, higher psychological functions, the Zone of Proximal Development, and social compensation to understand the challenges faced by Indigenous students with disabilities. The results indicate that the Vygotskian perspective offers a consistent theoretical framework for thinking about Special Education in Indigenous contexts, by recognizing culture, language, and social mediation as central elements of human development, although its effectiveness depends on overcoming structural barriers, teacher training, and guaranteeing Specialized Educational Assistance. It is concluded that the articulation between Cultural-Historical Psychology and the traditional knowledge of the Akwẽ-Xerente people can strengthen more inclusive, intercultural pedagogical practices committed to the full development of Indigenous students with disabilities.