Construindo e transformando os processos conceituais: ações para o desenvolvimento do professor

Abstract

In the Applied Linguistics area, there is a growing interest in researchesconcerned with understanding the implicit mental models upon the use of language in the classroom context. There is also an effort to involve teachers in a process of critical reflection in researches about their own practice. This investigation, from a qualitative nature, has the objective to research and understand how a teacher, in a collective practice, discusses the interacional process promoted by her in the classroom. The research was developed in three phases with distinct aims: On the preliminary phase, we verified how the participant understands the interacional process she promotes in the classroom before the collaborative phase of the investigation. On the collaborativephase, analyze the way she discuss interaction based on the texts suggested by the group and by the instruments that engender reflection. Finally, on the delayed data collection phase, we checked how the research influenced or promoted movements towards changes in the teachers use of language in the classroom and in the actions to promotedifferent interaction patterns. Furthermore, it was our interest to check how the teachers mental models modified whereof the discussions and the proposed actions. The data gathered in this research came from questionnaires, mind maps about interaction, classroom video recording, stimulated recall sections and group discussions. The study is based on on Mental Models Theory (JOHNSON-LAIRD, 1983), MeaningfulLearning Theory (AUSUBEL, 1968) and the vygostskian Socio historical cultural Theory (VYGOTSKY, 1984). The data discussion in this thesis conveys the researcher point of view and it is by no means exhaustive, but a way to understand the researched contexts, contributing to understand better what happens in the English language classrooms. The results point at the participants awareness of the importance of theinteraction to the foreign language acquisition. This work suggests that, besides mental models, other factors influence the selection of content, the class planning system and the actions of the teachers. Evidence points to a relationship between the background experiences and mental models, as well as between experiences and actions. The studycontributes to expand the researches related to mental models regarding specific aspects in the learning process of a foreign language, thus collaborating with the Teacher Education.