Banca de DEFESA: Luciana Dantas de Paula

Uma banca de DEFESA de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : Luciana Dantas de Paula
DATE: 17/05/2024
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: plataforma teams
TITLE:

Promoting Teacher’s Dialogical Development to Face Prejudices and Uncertainties

KEY WORDS:

Cultural Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Pedagogical practices; teacher interactions

PAGES: 152
BIG AREA: Ciências Humanas
AREA: Psicologia
SUMMARY:

Teachers face uncertainties in their classroom work, particularly when students ask questions they have no ready answer for or conflicts arise. Although many teachers have been told to avoid controversial topics, in today's polarized world, it is not a matter of if but when they will encounter situations of uncertainty or conflict. This reality heightens tensions in teachers' practices: Should they engage in difficult conversations with students or avoid them? Considering this scenario, the research aimed to identify and analyze possible shifts in teachers’ perspectives and positionings regarding how to manage uncertainties and conflict involving prejudices and other sensitive topics, by creating and holding an extension course on conflict resolution in the classroom. Moreover, we aimed to consider the teachers’ ideas regarding the implementation of concrete actions and social practices to improve the de-escalation of conflicts and controversial issues in their classrooms. To achieve this, a qualitative study was conducted anchored in the theoretical and epistemological foundations of Cultural Psychology and Dialogical Paradigm. Both theoretical stances understand human phenomena as complex, dynamic, and interdependent with culture and context. An eight-week focus group with thirteen Middle and High School teachers was conducted online. The meetings were structured adapt and changed according participants’ contributions and inputs. Three individual interviews were also conducted to gather feedback, understand their experiences and the impact (if any) of meetings. The rich data set coconstructed in this research was organized into two key axes of analysis: horizontal, providing a broad view of the data across the sessions, and vertical, focusing on individual participant analyses. We traced and articulated the participants' movements in dialogue across the meetings, identifying tensions, contradictions, agreements; and analyzed the nuances of their perspectives and positionings regarding conflicts and uncertainties they faced. Our findings revealed that teachers' primary challenges were less connected to teacher-student interactions and more connected to the kaleidoscope of complex relations that stemmed from macro (structural and institutional) levels, and poured into the micro-level relations they had to navigate. Fear and uncertainties about possible institutional reprimands, or of losing control of the class were some of the concerns that surfaced. Hypergeneralized cultural messages, institutional constraints, lack support and training came up as barriers for the teachers even to try implement a dialogical practices in class. This is why, in translating dialogical intentions into practice, we need to emphasize the affective dimension. Horizons of possibilities emerged from the collective meaning-making processes during participants’ interactions; where indicators of openness were identified, which could bring them out of the overwhelming uncertainty towards a greater engagement with what was possible at each moment. Shifts in participants’ perspectives and positionings were also identified, which we interpreted as indicative of micro-process of change – a fruitful developmental construct. We conclude highlighting that efforts in the direction of cocreating a welcoming affective-semiotic atmosphere are essential to the development of a democratic education. Teachers are more able to navigate uncertainties inherent to pedagogical and dialogical practices when they rely on this constructive atmosphere.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externa à Instituição - PILAR ANTONIETA VALENZUELA RAMÍREZ
Externo à Instituição - VLAD PETRE GLAVEANU
Externa à Instituição - ANA CECILIA BITTENCOURT BASTOS - UFBA
Presidente - ***.350.231-** - ANGELA MARIA CRISTINA UCHOA DE ABREU BRANCO - NÃO INFORMADO
Interna - 2686011 - SANDRA FERRAZ DE CASTILLO DOURADO FREIRE