Perceptions of Students in HE on Teaching Ideologyand Authority by Lecturers: Questioning Neutral Viewpoints about Academia

Abstract

This paper presents research conducted at a Brazilian university, focusing on students’ perspectives on authority, power and ethics of lecturers, and their influence on teaching learning processes. Teaching ethics is situated as a regulator of authority and power. From this perspective, we analyse the pedagogical action of lecturers, particularly in relation to the ideological imposition on students and its consequences on learning. The methodol ogy has been based on focus groups, carried out with 18 students. Students perceive that teachers often impose their ideology, using mechanisms such as evaluation, strategies to avoid different opinions, or granting privileges to students who share the ideology of the teacher. We conclude that the ideological imposition of teachers is based on an unethical authority that impedes students’ autonomy and harms learning processes.