Construção de modelos e mediação do conhecimento científico na formação inicial dos professores de química: uma análise do processo de ensino da termoquímica

Abstract

Modelling-Based Teaching activities can foster a dynamic environment involving dialogic interactions among peers. Moreover, modelling practices have the potential to promote multimodal actions, thereby favouring the circulation of ideas and mediation of scientific knowledge in the classroom. In the present research, the activities developed with 27 pre-service Chemistry teachers (PSTs) that attended the course of Instrumentation for Chemistry Teaching II, at the Federal University of Viçosa (Brazil), were supervised. After conducting a series of activities based on building models to explain the energy related to chemical changes, the PSTs were confronted with a particular situation that required them to think about how knowledge could be mediated in classroom. With regard to methodological aspects, the researcher investigated the PSTs actions in his own class, constituting a qualitative research which emphasis on descriptive and interpretive biases. These activities were analysed in the light of Social-Historical-Cultural approach, Theory of Mediated Action and contributions of the Social Semiotic. After discussing the activities from an instructional approach based on modelling, the PSTs were confronted in the final assessment with situations that required the examination of knowledge mediation in secondary classrooms. The data were collected by means of written activities, field notes derived from participants supervision and video recording of discussions in classrooms. Their analyses allowed to establish conclusions on the importance of multimodal interactions in PSTs University courses, seeking to improve the articulation of scientific knowledge and development of mediational skills. The results point out to the importance of addressing PSTs aspects concerning pedagogical mediation (both social and semiotic), favouring the better articulation of scientific knowledge in classroom. Furthermore, these modelling activities enabled the PSTs to better understand the process of model articulation in classroom and pedagogical mediation. This teaching perspective dialogues with current discussions in recent Science Education researches, highlighting that modelling and multimodal interactions can help PSTs to disseminate more meaningful procedures in secondary classroom and develop a more accurate understanding of Science and its bases, including the critical analysis of models used in scientific education.