As representações sociais dos professores de ciências sobre os desafios da formação continuada para a educação ambiental

Abstract

This study has as a goal to clarify the social presentation of the Science teachers about the challenges of continuing training for Environment Education (EE). Considering that the question reaches aspects related to challenges of a continuing training for EE, since those challenges linked to formative public politics as far as the challenges of the own professional practices of being a Science teacher. It is used some key concepts of social presentations theory (SPT); basically lound in Moscovici (1978, 2010). Authors as Dias (2002), Sato (2003), Tristão (2004) e Carvalho (2008) and more ground the questions related to Environmental Education and Continuing Training, it seeks some elements in Nóvoa (1992), Alarcão (1998), Abdalla (2006, 2008), among others. Starting from a qualitative approach, notified by authors as Lüdke e André (1986), seeks to uncover the SP of the teachers about continuing training for EE beginning of the challenges proposed by Science teachers which work in public schools of the city of São Vicente/São Paulo. The questions of research were developed in two parts. In the first part, the questionnaire was composed by closed and opened questions to a group of 24 people involve into the research, it was possible to trace the profiles: personal, educational and professional. In the second part, five (5) teachers, three (3) of them belong to the first group, participated in semi-structured interviews and answered a projective text, in which we obtained additional data. A chart of categories was structured in two dimensions of analysis: First dimension: challenges institutional /organization; and the second dimensions: challenges personal/professional. In the face of those dimensions e theories researched, the information collected enable to understand the SP of the Science teachers about continuing training to EE. Thereby, the teachers have, as representations, challenges that resultants of the lack of initial training, because in this training it does not happen to link between theory and practice in relation of environmental issues. Teachers say, in initial training, the EE is still less approached, although it has been changed in a very good perspective in the last years. Other challenge to be transposed it is continuing training courses for EE. In the representations of our subjects, the offering these courses is far from meeting the demand required, although legislation is abundant and ensure such training. Added to these challenges, the current precarious situation of the teaching profession, for the lack of time and financial resources are two complicating aspects to the teachers participation in continuing training. However, front of these challenges, the posture of the school about the training teachers courses is revealed, as it is supportive of ongoing training of their teachers, nor is configured as formative space.