A importância da teoria de mudança conceitual na formação de professores: a aplicabilidade do modelo PSHG na didática

Abstract

The purpose of this study was: (a) to use a strategy based on the PSHG model with Physic students working toward a teaching credential in this area, aiming at reorganizing or construct their concepts which did not correspond to the scientific ones; and (b) to evaluate the effects of the strategy through the students’ teaching practice. Took part in the study four Physics students enrolled in Physics Special Didactics, Physics I and II and Supervised Teaching Practice, offered in the first and second semesters of 1991. The strategy was developed in two moments: (a) first to let the Physics students to reorganizing or construct Physics concepts at the senior high school level; and (b) to have them take students from different areas of knowledge, enrolled in the course General Didactics, to build the concepts of Energy and Inertia, using the strategy based on the PSHG model. In the evaluation of the strategy effects, three types of indicators were used: (a) improvement of the Physics students, considering their experience with the strategy as both students and future teachers; (b) their opinions about the process they experienced; and (c) the evaluation of the General Didactics students as to the effects of having been taught the two Physics concepts by the strategy based on the PSHG model, as well as to the application of the strategy in their own areas of knowledge. The results of the study suggested that: (a) the strategy is able to help building concepts not only in Physics but also in other areas of knowledge; and (b) the strategy must be taught in Teacher Preparation Courses, particularly in General Didatics and Supervised Teaching Practice.