Ambientes recifais - o que sabem e como ensinam os docentes : investigando estratégias visando mudanças paradigmáticas e de atitudes através de formação continuada

Abstract

Environmental Education (EE) began as a response to the problem of constant anthropic aggressions that the environment has been suffering over the years and that have been incessantly propagated by media. Nevertheless, we find that EE has been focusing on punctual preservationist actions instead of on interventionist actions that promote effective changes in attitude among the population. There seems to be little clarity about EE on the part of educational institutions, as much content is approached in an unarticulated manner and does not instigate awareness or changes in attitude. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the contribution of concept maps, pedagogical workshops and interviews in continuing education courses directed at teachers in the sense of promoting critical reflection about their own pedagogical practices, conceptual gaps and the fragmented view they have of EE disciplinary content, with special focus on reef environments. The study was carried out with three Biology professors at the Poeta Joaquim Cardoso State School. The instruments used were: (a) initial (semi-structured) interviews to collect information on the teachers’ previous knowledge on EE and reef environments and on their pedagogical practices; (b) a pedagogical workshop where individual and collective concept maps were created and a field class was experienced; and (c) final interviews to evaluate these instruments’ potential in aiding the systemic understanding of specific content and in eliciting critical reflection of one’s own pedagogical practices as a way of introducing changes in the classroom. The results made clear that conceptual gaps and difficulties in articulating concepts – both observed during the initial interviews – were also present in several moments during the construction of the individual concept maps. However, it was noted that after the field class and the moments of discussion the teachers had reflective insights, which were detected during the collective construction of the final map. Such observations were strengthened by the final interview, when they showed that they had become aware of the conceptual mistakes they had made and, consequently, the flaws in their own pedagogical practices. Thus, interviews are recommended to detect previous knowledge, as they can diagnose the level of understanding of specific knowledge and self-reflection. The use of concept maps is equally recommended as useful instruments to show knowledge on the context and theme being studied and to favor the perception of articulation among concepts. Finally, we also recommend field classes, as through such classes the teachers were able to feel and live the concrete reality of what was being studied in theory. The instruments favored the perception of how specific knowledge had been learned in a fragmented manner and critical reflection on teachers’ own pedagogical practices, as well as their limitations in implementing them. Nevertheless, it was clear that there is a need to substantially intervene teachers’ initial and continuing education in order to affect the certainties cemented by years of transmissive education within a Cartesian and limited disciplinary viewpoint.