Colaboração e grupo de estudos: perspectivas para o desenvolvimento profissional de professores de Matemática no uso de tecnologia

Abstract

This research study aimed to analyze the participation of six Mathematics teachers in a forming collaborative group in a way of achieving an environment which motivated the teachers‟ professional and individual development in the pedagogical use of technologies and to identify their contribution. The idea of establishing a study group came from the researcher‟s observations in the own working environment which shown to the individualism and to the professional isolation as strong aspects among the teachers. From the researcher´s observations, pointed by the lack of dialogue and interactions among the colleagues, along the issue of inadequate use of technological resources available in the school, provoked in the born and establishing of a study environment, where the teachers could investigate the limits and possibilities of the use of software in the Mathematics teaching. Our concern to understand the complexity of the educative process, and of the relation among the teachers acting on that, made us to feel motivated of studying in greater detail some of the aspects which characterize the relation among the teachers and how it can come to be ways that new working proposals can be created and be continually better. In this way, we developed a theoretical framework to offer a discussion on the concepts of professional development, teaching cultures, teacher individualism, collaboration and collaborative work. Little by little the Group created its own identity by making the collaborative work among the teachers possible and natural. The meetings with the teachers happened on Saturdays, every fifteen days, from March to December 2010 and were done in the school. By the end of the meetings, we noted that the participation in the Study Group make a greater integration among the teachers possible, the development of competencies and abilities in the use of some software and, consequently, of some joint work and project which contributed to the professional development. At last, the mediated realtion by the collaboration among the teachers provoked a higher confidence and the establishment of friendly links which brought more security and professional autonomy in the pedagogical practice of the teachers involved.