Identificar e Testar Factores de Eficácia no Sentido de Melhorar as Práticas de Ensino de Física em Engenharia no Ensino Superior
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2010
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Este trabalho, visa contribuir para o aumento da eficácia do ensino de Física Introdutória, no contexto particular de Escolas de Engenharia, e visa ajudar a dar resposta ao problema de investigação tomado: que práticas dos professores promovem aprendizagens de qualidade, no âmbito de física introdutória num curso de engenharia, e que modificações curriculares iterativas, postas em prática em sala de aula se revelam produtivas (ou não) no sucesso didáctico das práticas e no sucesso académico dos alunos?
O estudo decorreu no Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, numa era pré-Bolonha. Recorreu-se a uma vasta análise de dados, que incluiu respostas a testes aos conhecimentos e competências dos alunos, documentação sobre o desenho curricular e as tarefas ao longo dos anos, opiniões dos alunos e dos professores face a essas modificações e aos resultados de aprendizagem, gravações de aulas e observações. Foi realizado ao longo de sete semestres de intervenção e sempre que pertinente comparam-se com dados dos três anos anteriores.
O trabalho compôs-se de três estudos que se complementam. A primeira parte do trabalho consistiu no estudo das modificações curriculares incrementais introduzidas (baseadas nos factores de eficácia identificados na literatura). Optou-se por um desenho de investigação de Estudo de Caso, debruçando-se sobre dois casos: duas disciplinas de física introdutória (Física 1 e Física 2, do Curso de Engenharia Civil), que se acompanharam ao longo de três anos consecutivos. A segunda parte do trabalho, consistiu na análise da prática efectiva de vários professores, utilizando o mesmo currículo, em que se manteve o desenho de investigação, estudando sete casos, correspondentes a sete professores, cruzando dados da mediação dos professores em duas disciplinas leccionadas em dois semestres. A terceira parte do trabalho foi baseada num desenho de investigação-acção e consistiu na reflexão do professor investigador sobre a implementação das modificações curriculares e da prática efectiva em sala de aula (sua e dos seus colegas), seus resultados e ilações. Este estudo incidiu sobre os três anos do estudo 1 e sobre dados de um semestre adicional no qual participou mais um professor. Cada estudo foi desenvolvido com base numa questão de investigação, à qual se tentou dar uma resposta, o mais completa possível:
Q1 – Qual é o papel das mudanças incrementais ao currículo no desenvolvimento de competências, conhecimentos e no envolvimento dos alunos na disciplina?
Os dados recolhidos, a sua análise, bem como a interpretação dos resultados obtidos com base na literatura permitiu-nos chegar às seguintes conclusões:
1) Constatou-se que as modificações incrementais permitem um sucessivo ajuste do currículo, baseado nos resultados progressivos da sua implementação (impacte na percepção dos alunos e professores acerca do ensino e respectivos resultados de aprendizagem), nomeadamente no desenvolvimento de tarefas mais adequadas, no desenho mais cuidado da mediação dos professores e no esforço por ajudar os alunos a desenvolverem competências.
2) As modificações incrementais ao currículo permitem consolidar a utilização da organização do currículo em situações formativas, permitindo uma construção iterativa de um currículo mais coeso, com um melhor alinhamento entre objectivos de aprendizagem, tarefas e mediação adequada, possibilitando uma melhor integração dos conhecimentos, observada através do impacte positivo a nível dos resultados académicos dos alunos.
Q2 – Que repercussões terão diferentes mediações efectivadas em sala de aula (baseadas no mesmo currículo) nos resultados escolares, desenvolvimento de competências e envolvimento dos alunos? Que traços de mediação efectiva podem ajudar a desenvolver aprendizagens de maior qualidade?
Os dados recolhidos, a sua análise, bem como a interpretação dos resultados obtidos com base na literatura permitiu-nos chegar às seguintes conclusões:
3) A implementação de reformas curriculares, devem envolver uma aprendizagem prática dos professores acerca de como podem melhorar a sua mediação, não se tendo revelado (em geral) prejudicial para os alunos, mesmo quando não é realizada de forma assertiva, permitindo aos professores ir evoluindo.
4) Uma mediação baseada nos factores de eficácia identificados na literatura que os incorpore de forma integrada e harmoniosa na prática efectiva do ensino permite obter melhores resultados em todo o tipo de alunos.
5) Uma mediação que cuide as várias dimensões analisadas simultaneamente (Apoio e autoridade dada aos alunos; Envolvimento fomentado; Contextualização da aprendizagem e Avaliação e feedback) consegue melhores resultados de aprendizagem; Foram ainda identificados alguns traços de mediação particularmente importantes para conseguir melhores resultados de aprendizagem em termos de desenvolvimento de competências, resultados escolares ou envolvimento dos alunos e os que permitiam uma melhor abrangência em todo o tipo de resultados.
6) Mesmo que os professores não consigam efectivamente integrar todos os factores de eficácia nas suas aulas, em geral, quanto mais factores conseguem integrar nas suas práticas
de mediação, maior é a possibilidade de promover nos seus alunos aprendizagens de qualidade.
Q3 – Como é que a reflexão sobre a prática em sala de aula pode ajudar o professor a modificar didacticamente o desenho curricular e a mediação efectiva de forma a melhorar o envolvimento e aprendizagem dos alunos?
Os dados recolhidos, a sua análise, bem como a interpretação dos resultados obtidos com base na literatura permitiu-nos chegar às seguintes conclusões:
7) A reflexão sobre a prática permite fundamentar a reconstrução curricular, na procura de um desenho curricular que melhor se ajuste às necessidades de aprendizagem, na melhoria do desenho das tarefas a partir das observações práticas de sala de aula, ajuste da mediação, dando especial atenção aos traços de mediação determinantes identificados e formas de o tornar mais claro no desenho curricular ou ainda formas de como potenciar a abrangência da avaliação formativa das tarefas.
8) A reflexão sobre a prática permite fundamentar (através de relatos vivos) aspectos da mediação efectiva de um professor que resultam e outros que podem ser melhorados e mostrar a sua pertinência a outros colegas.
Estes três estudos foram articulados permitindo contribuir para uma melhor compreensão acerca do problema de investigação analisado, uma vez que se debruça não apenas na melhoria de sequências de ensino e dos seus resultados de aprendizagem, mas também nas práticas efectivas. A análise conjunta dos três estudos permitiu uma melhor compreensão acerca dos resultados de aprendizagem, das condições necessárias para que ocorram e também dar mais consistência e adequação ao próprio desenho curricular. A análise cruzada dos três estudos desenvolvidos permitiu, assim, perceber que:
9) A integração entre o desenho de sequências de ensino fundamentadas em investigação recente em didáctica da física, a sua prática efectiva dentro da sua comunidade e a sucessiva reflexão sobre os seus resultados, é fundamental para produzir uma reforma curricular coesa, permitindo agir, modificar, reforçar, completar, gerir o desenho curricular, com vista a cumprir cada vez com maior eficácia o objectivo de envolver os alunos na aprendizagem e o desenvolvimento desejado dos seus conhecimentos e competências.
10) A mediação dos professores pode ser substancialmente diferente em tipos de aula diferentes, no entanto os traços de mediação que mais afectam a aprendizagem dos alunos não variam de forma sensível com os tipos de aulas.
This work aims to contribute to an increase of the effectiveness of teaching Introductory Physics in the particular context of Engineering Schools, and help tackle the problem of research: which teaching practices promotes higher quality learning of introductory physics in an engineering context, and which iterative curricular modifications are revealed productive (or not) in classroom practices and in students' academic success? This study took place in an Engineering Polytechnic School in Portugal (ISEP), in the pre-Bologna years. Recurring to a broad analysis of data, which included students’ responses, developed competences and academic results, information about the modifications in the curriculum design and developed tasks over the years, students and teachers perceptions about teaching, especially the aspects related with these changes, the learning outcome results, teaching and recording observations, self-evaluation and correspondent modifications decisions. It was conducted over seven semesters and when appropriate, comparisons with data from the previous three years are made. The work consisted of three complementary studies. The first part of the work was the study of curricular modifications made incrementally (based on the effectiness factors identified in the literature). A case study research design was chosen with focus on two cases: two introductory physics courses (Physics 1 and Physics 2 of Civil Engineering) followed over three consecutive years. The second part of the work, maintained the research design, and consisted in analyzing the actual practice of different teachers, using the same curriculum, studying seven cases, corresponding to seven teachers, crossing data related to the teachers’ mediation in the two subjects courses taught in two semesters. The third study was based on action research and consisted of teacher researcher reflections upon the implementation of curricular changes and about the actual practice in the classroom (his own and his colleagues’), their results and conclusions. This study focused on the three years of the first study and upon one additional semester in which participated one more teacher. Each study was based on a research question, to which we tried to give an answer as complete as possible: Q1 - What is the role of the incremental changes introduced in the curriculum, in the development of competences, knowledge and involvement of students in the course? The collected data, its analysis and interpretation of the results based on the literature enable us to reach the following conclusions: 1) It was found that the incremental changes allow a subsequent adjustment of the curriculum, based on the progressive results of their implementation (impact on the perception of students and teachers about their teaching and learning outcomes), particularly in developing more appropriate tasks, in drawing more attention of the teachers mediation design and the effort in helping students develop competences. 2) The incremental changes to the curriculum allowed consolidating the use of the organization of the curriculum in formative situations, allowing iterative construction of a more cohesive curriculum, with a better alignment between learning objectives, tasks and appropriate mediation, enabling better integration of knowledge, observed through a positive impact at the level of academic achievement of students. Q2 - Which effects will different effective classroom mediations (based on the same curriculum) have in students’ learning, competences development and involvement? Which mediation traces can more effectively help develop higher quality learning? The collected data, its analysis and interpretation of the results based on the literature enable us to reach the following conclusions: 3) The implementation of curricular reforms should involve practical learning about how teachers can improve their mediation, not having found to be harmful to students (in general), even when it is not done in an assertive manner, allowing teachers to evolve. 4) A mediation based on the educational effectiveness factors, identified in the literature, incorporating them in the actual practice of teaching, in an integrated and harmonious way, achieves better results in all types of students. 5) A mediation that addresses the various analyzed dimensions simultaneously (Support and authority given to students; Encouraged involvement; Contextualization of learning and Assessment and feedback) can lead to better learning outcomes. We also identified mediation traces particularly important to achieve better learning outcomes, in terms of competences development, school performance or student involvement and also those that allow a better coverage in all sorts of results. 6) Even if teachers are unable to effectively integrate all of the good performance indicators in their classrooms, in general, the more efficient factors they are able to incorporate into their practice of mediation, the greater is the possibility to promote learning quality in their students. Q3 - How can the reflection upon the teachers’ practice in the classroom help modifying the teaching sequences and the effective mediation with students in order to improve their involvement and their learning? The collected data, its analysis and interpretation of the results based on the literature enable us to reach the following conclusions: 7) A reflection on practice can support the curriculum reconstruction in a quest for a curriculum design that best fits the learners’ needs, improving the tasks’ design based on classroom practices observations, adjusting mediation, with particular attention to the identified determinant traces of mediation, developing ways to improve its clarity in curriculum design and also ways to enhance the leaning effects of the formative assessment tasks. 8) Reflection on practice enables to give support (via live reports) to some particular aspects of effective mediation of a teacher that reaches positive results and others that can be improved and show its relevance to other colleagues. These three studies were articulated allowing contribution to a better understanding of the research problem studied, since it focuses not only on improving sequences of teaching and their learning outcomes, but also on their implementation in the actual practice. This joined analysis of the three studies led to a better understanding of the learning outcomes, the necessary conditions for them to happen and also provided a more consistent and appropriateness to the curriculum design itself. So, the cross-analysis of the three studies allowed to realize that: 9) The integration between the design of teaching sequences based on recent research in teaching physics, the actual practice within its community and subsequent reflection on its results, is of the most importance to produce a cohesive curriculum reform, enabling to act, modify, enhance, complement, manage the curricular design in order to meet more effectively the aim of engaging students in learning and the desired development of their knowledge and competences. 10) The mediation of teachers may be substantially different in diverse types of classes, though the mediation traces that most affect student learning do not vary significantly (between different types of classes).
This work aims to contribute to an increase of the effectiveness of teaching Introductory Physics in the particular context of Engineering Schools, and help tackle the problem of research: which teaching practices promotes higher quality learning of introductory physics in an engineering context, and which iterative curricular modifications are revealed productive (or not) in classroom practices and in students' academic success? This study took place in an Engineering Polytechnic School in Portugal (ISEP), in the pre-Bologna years. Recurring to a broad analysis of data, which included students’ responses, developed competences and academic results, information about the modifications in the curriculum design and developed tasks over the years, students and teachers perceptions about teaching, especially the aspects related with these changes, the learning outcome results, teaching and recording observations, self-evaluation and correspondent modifications decisions. It was conducted over seven semesters and when appropriate, comparisons with data from the previous three years are made. The work consisted of three complementary studies. The first part of the work was the study of curricular modifications made incrementally (based on the effectiness factors identified in the literature). A case study research design was chosen with focus on two cases: two introductory physics courses (Physics 1 and Physics 2 of Civil Engineering) followed over three consecutive years. The second part of the work, maintained the research design, and consisted in analyzing the actual practice of different teachers, using the same curriculum, studying seven cases, corresponding to seven teachers, crossing data related to the teachers’ mediation in the two subjects courses taught in two semesters. The third study was based on action research and consisted of teacher researcher reflections upon the implementation of curricular changes and about the actual practice in the classroom (his own and his colleagues’), their results and conclusions. This study focused on the three years of the first study and upon one additional semester in which participated one more teacher. Each study was based on a research question, to which we tried to give an answer as complete as possible: Q1 - What is the role of the incremental changes introduced in the curriculum, in the development of competences, knowledge and involvement of students in the course? The collected data, its analysis and interpretation of the results based on the literature enable us to reach the following conclusions: 1) It was found that the incremental changes allow a subsequent adjustment of the curriculum, based on the progressive results of their implementation (impact on the perception of students and teachers about their teaching and learning outcomes), particularly in developing more appropriate tasks, in drawing more attention of the teachers mediation design and the effort in helping students develop competences. 2) The incremental changes to the curriculum allowed consolidating the use of the organization of the curriculum in formative situations, allowing iterative construction of a more cohesive curriculum, with a better alignment between learning objectives, tasks and appropriate mediation, enabling better integration of knowledge, observed through a positive impact at the level of academic achievement of students. Q2 - Which effects will different effective classroom mediations (based on the same curriculum) have in students’ learning, competences development and involvement? Which mediation traces can more effectively help develop higher quality learning? The collected data, its analysis and interpretation of the results based on the literature enable us to reach the following conclusions: 3) The implementation of curricular reforms should involve practical learning about how teachers can improve their mediation, not having found to be harmful to students (in general), even when it is not done in an assertive manner, allowing teachers to evolve. 4) A mediation based on the educational effectiveness factors, identified in the literature, incorporating them in the actual practice of teaching, in an integrated and harmonious way, achieves better results in all types of students. 5) A mediation that addresses the various analyzed dimensions simultaneously (Support and authority given to students; Encouraged involvement; Contextualization of learning and Assessment and feedback) can lead to better learning outcomes. We also identified mediation traces particularly important to achieve better learning outcomes, in terms of competences development, school performance or student involvement and also those that allow a better coverage in all sorts of results. 6) Even if teachers are unable to effectively integrate all of the good performance indicators in their classrooms, in general, the more efficient factors they are able to incorporate into their practice of mediation, the greater is the possibility to promote learning quality in their students. Q3 - How can the reflection upon the teachers’ practice in the classroom help modifying the teaching sequences and the effective mediation with students in order to improve their involvement and their learning? The collected data, its analysis and interpretation of the results based on the literature enable us to reach the following conclusions: 7) A reflection on practice can support the curriculum reconstruction in a quest for a curriculum design that best fits the learners’ needs, improving the tasks’ design based on classroom practices observations, adjusting mediation, with particular attention to the identified determinant traces of mediation, developing ways to improve its clarity in curriculum design and also ways to enhance the leaning effects of the formative assessment tasks. 8) Reflection on practice enables to give support (via live reports) to some particular aspects of effective mediation of a teacher that reaches positive results and others that can be improved and show its relevance to other colleagues. These three studies were articulated allowing contribution to a better understanding of the research problem studied, since it focuses not only on improving sequences of teaching and their learning outcomes, but also on their implementation in the actual practice. This joined analysis of the three studies led to a better understanding of the learning outcomes, the necessary conditions for them to happen and also provided a more consistent and appropriateness to the curriculum design itself. So, the cross-analysis of the three studies allowed to realize that: 9) The integration between the design of teaching sequences based on recent research in teaching physics, the actual practice within its community and subsequent reflection on its results, is of the most importance to produce a cohesive curriculum reform, enabling to act, modify, enhance, complement, manage the curricular design in order to meet more effectively the aim of engaging students in learning and the desired development of their knowledge and competences. 10) The mediation of teachers may be substantially different in diverse types of classes, though the mediation traces that most affect student learning do not vary significantly (between different types of classes).
Descrição
Tese de Doutoramento em Física (Didáctica da Física)
Palavras-chave
Ensino de Física introdutória , ensino na Engenharia , desenvolvimento curricular , factores de eficácia no Ensino Superior , aprendizagem de física , mediação de professores , prática de professores , desenvolvimento de competências