Fifth edition 2020

Humanities Library

Pilar Benejam  (Ciutadella de Menorca, 1937)

A retired professor in the Department of Language and Literature Didactics and Social Sciences at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, where she taught from 1972 to 2004. She trained as a teacher at the School of Education in the Balearic Islands (1961), graduated in Pedagogy (1966) and History (1972) from the University of Barcelona, and holds a PhD in Pedagogy (1985) from UAB. She was one of the signatories of the Bellaterra Manifesto, a statement of principles made public in 1975. Additionally, she served as the General Coordinator of Educational Centres for the Barcelona Provincial Council and as the Director of the University’s Institute of Educational Sciences. She is also a member of the Rosa Sensat Teachers' Association. 

She was involved in several commissions focused on reforming teacher training in Catalonia and Spain. Specialising in the review of pedagogical renewal, didactic innovation, and curriculum planning in social sciences (especially in geography), she has provided advice to public administrations at all stages of education. 

She has published theoretical works such as La formación de maestros. Una propuesta alternativa(1986) and several secondary school geography textbooks, including IIntercanvi. Geografia humana i econòmica del món actual (1976). She has also contributed to books such as El proyecto curricular en el contexto del proyecto educativo institucional (1999), Una geografía humana renovada: lugares y regiones en un mundo global (2000), and Las ciencias sociales: concepciones y procedimientos (2002). Furthermore, she has published articles in specialised journals such as ocuments d’Anàlisi Geogràfica, Perspectiva Escolar, Cuadernos de Pedagogía, Iber, Escola Catalana and Revista Interuniversitaria de Formación del Profesorado. 

Pilar Benejam has received several awards, including the Creu de Sant Jordi from the Government of Catalonia, the Ramon Llull Award, the Jaume Vicens Vives Award, and the Marta Mata Award (within the Catalonia Education Awards 2011). 

In 2019, she donated her personal collection to the Humanities Library, which includes essays, textbooks, journal articles, conference proceedings, and more, reflecting her entire academic production, focused on education, social sciences, and geography.