Simulações e laboratórios virtuais como recursos mediacionais multimodais nas ações de um professor de Física

Abstract

The research presented in this thesis had an aim to investigate how simulations and virtual labs are used by an experienced teacher of physics to mediate the teaching from this subject. The theoretical frameworks which supported the research were: 1- the Theory of Mediated Action, which says all human actions are mediated by meditational means available in a particular sociocultural setting; 2- the Multimodal Theory of Social Semiotics, which studies the process of sharing, negotiation and production of means and meanings among subjects through verbal, visual, gestural and actional modes of communication; 3- the works of Wolff-Michael Roth's group about the role from didactic inscriptions in teaching and learning of science. The research was conducted in a physics classroom from a federal public school dedicated to the mid-level technical training. The main data were generated by video recordings of a teaching sequence about wave, along the last academic quarter of 2013. Taking for granted our theoretical frameworks, we conceived four units of analysis and we developed an analytical scheme consisted of three levels: macro, meso and micro. Our analyses allow us to say that: (i) the simulations and virtual labs mediated, directly or indirectly, the entire teaching sequence; (ii) the teacher coordinates the use of simulations and virtual labs with a variety of other mediational resources; (iii) the teacher assists students in interpretation of signs which make up the exposed didactic inscriptions on the applicative screens; (iv) by measuring the interaction of students with simulations and virtual labs, the teacher orchestrates multiple modes of communication to explain and reinforce key concepts and didatic inscriptions . In the final considerations, implications of the results from this analysis for a research in teaching of science and teaching practice are presented and discussed.