Ensino para a formação de conceitos em ciências: contribuições da teoria do ensino desenvolvimental de Davydov

Abstract

This investigation, associated with the research branch of theories of education and learning processes, in the post-graduation program of education of PUC-Goiás, is in the theoretical field of didactics. We assume the current Brazilian educational policy, guided by neoliberal and economic aims, gives school education an instrumental aspect which accentuates educational inequality. Opposing this orientation, we assume that school teaching, particularly the teaching of sciences, needs to advance its contribution to the critical development of students, in a perspective of social and educational equality. Davydov´s theory of developmental teaching, in a dialectic-materialistic epistemology and within the historicalcultural theorethical approach, stablishes educational purposes of promotion of the critical awareness of students, with autonomy and creativity, through teaching for theoretical concepts formation. In this perspective, we searched elements which could help answer the question: how the principles of Davydov´s teaching theory can contribute to students of science in elementary school, so they can learn through the process of theoretical concepts formation? The main goal of this research was to analyse the contributions of Davydov´s theory to the teaching of sciences, focusing on the learning of the concept of vertebrate animal by elementary school students. Besides Davydov and Vygotsky, our theoretical baseline includes the theories of Leontiev, Hedegaard, among others. We disposed of a review of the related literature, bibliographic research, documental research and field research (which consisted of a pedagogical formative experiment, done in a state public school in the city of Goiânia - Goiás). The participants were the conductor and the students of a sixth grade group (elementary school). The pedagogical formative experiment was developed through a study activity proposed to students for the formation of the theoretical concept of vertebrate animal. The majority of students expressed liking to learn science topics. However, they reported a form of learning through repetition and memorization, believing that one to be the best way to learn. Contradictorily, during the pedagogical formative experiment, they worked as subjects, taking over the vertebrate animal object in an investigative and critical way, with collective and individual participation, creativity, interaction and dialogue. They showed evidence of change in their relation to the learning object and in their thinking method, pointing to a transformation in the class and in their place in the sociocultural and institutional context of the school: the class went from being perceived as unruly to being perceived as dedicated, with the will and the need to learn, active and collaborative in the study of the concept of vertebrate animal. We attribute this change to the place the students began to occupy in relation to knowledge, as subjects who are conscious and critical of their learning and development. The teaching of the concept of vertebrate animal provided the students with the opportunity to take over this object by a dialectic logic, carrying out the thought movement from abstract to concrete. Therefore, Davydov´s theory is a strong and consistent reference to promote change in the teaching of sciences in the perspective of social and educational equality, inspiring the constitution of a branch of developmental didactics in this field