The autobiographical memory of teachers

Abstract

The Development of Autobiographical Memory addresses the importance of memory as a cultural and historical phenomenon, emphasising its role in the construction of individual and collective identities. Autobiographical memory, in particular, is explored as a uniquely human way of remembering past events, integrating perspectives, interpretations and evaluations that contribute to the formation of a personal narrative. The text discusses sociocultural models that explain the development of autobiographical memory, according to Andreano et al. (2019), Anderson et al. (1993), Bawer et al. (2003), Bertsen et al. (2019) and Cárdenas-Egúsguiza et al. (2023), emphasising the influence of social and cultural contexts, as well as the role of family interactions, especially the way mothers recall events with their children. The article also presents the Autobiographical Recall Test (ART), a psychometric tool developed to measure individual differences in the experience of autobiographical memories. The ART assesses seven interrelated components of autobiographical memory: Reliving, Clarity, Visual Images, Scene, Narrative Coherence, Rehearsal and Life Story. The test demonstrates high reliability and validity, making it useful for integrating research into autobiographical memory with areas such as health and personality psychology. The research applied the ART to a group of female teachers, with the aim of exploring how these professionals remember past events and how these memories relate to their identity and teaching practice. The results indicated that the Life Story component was the one most valued by the participants, suggesting that building a coherent narrative about one's own life is fundamental to personal and professional identity.