História e percepções da formação didática dos professores de informática/computação no campus Colinas do Tocantins/IFTO

Abstract

This paper aims to understand the didactic formation of teachers/professors in IT and Computer Science from campus Colinas do Tocantins, of the Tocantins Federal Institute for Education, Science and Technology (IFTO). Its goal is to contribute with theoretical thinking about teaching practice (an area of Didactics itself), aiming the enhancement of learning. To do so, it endeavored an analysis of the formation profile of such teachers/professors, as well as their relation with Didactics, as a field of pedagogic knowledge, gathering data by means of semi-structured interviews and checking their results with Didactics’ theoretical field. It also discusses the relation of dilemmas for the professional formation of computer science teachers/professors, the role played by Didactics in such formation, as well as the perception such professionals have about Didactics. Its conclusions lead to the reexamination of the challenges faced by teachers/professors in IT/Computer Science in their ongoing formation. Although they see themselves as teaching professionals and acknowledge the importance of Didactics in carrying out their activity, they still did not got acquainted with pedagogical knowledge needed to carry out their activity in their field. Their Didactics, built in their teaching practice, is uncertain, since it lacks theoretical knowledge. Due to that, multitask (technical and pedagogical) work inheres their professional actions, rendering its teaching field insufficient. It is necessary to conceive formal formative processes to be developed amidst practice, seeking to overcome such dichotomy: developing either their technical or pedagogical skills. Faced with this, it is urgent to reformulate public policies concerning teaching activity in this realm. Such reflections trigger new rethinking about the challenges faced by IT/Computer Science teachers/professors.