Competência prática, cognição e matemática na atividade de trabalhadores pouco escolarizados da construção civil

Abstract

This thesis aims to comprehend the effectiveness and the ineffectiveness of low-educated workers while solving practical issues involving mathematics at the construction site. The demand formulated by engineers originated from the necessity to develop through education the practical skills of low-performance and low-effectiveness workers, since ineffectiveness was hypothetically associated with the lack of school-level mathematical knowledge. Vocational courses were hired with this objective; however, results were not satisfying, since recently graduated workers have not acquired the expected skills. Thus, becoming the investigation of the practical knowledge of the skilled and the mistakes of the less experienced the focus of study and analysis aiming to understand how they intertwine in theoretical and practical situations. The research on this relationship started at the debate among the cognitive and the pragmatic fields, both with different points of view concerning the effective action. This controversy brings consequences to the professional development, especially with regard to the effectiveness of the teaching and learning models directed to practical skills development. The methodology used was the Ergonomic Work Analysis responsible to provide subsidies to analyze the action at work without being representational. This is a qualitative methodology based on in-depth analysis of active workers actions. Methods include observation and self-confrontational interview. Two study cases allowed the comparison between the competent and the beginners, as well as the teaching and learning models. Results show effective action depends on the intertwining of rules, actions, and perceptions in the situation. The ineffective action, on the other hand, is related to inappropriate practice, leaving relevant representations out of the course of action. Given such results it is possible to point out some pedagogical directions for professional training, such as learning through practice, intertwining representation and action in a situation. The outsider mediation showing the correct practice in real work situations was more effective for the development of new practical skills than the formal model of vocational courses.