Models of conceptual development in Brazilian theses and dissertations on Physics teaching

Abstract

The aim of the project is to analyze theses produced in Brazil concerning Physics teaching which investigated processes of conceptual development in basic education students. By models of conceptual development it will be considered: conceptual change, conceptual evolution, and conceptual profile, it will seek to describe and understand how researches undertook teaching and learning process that aimed development of physical concepts in the researched students and the results actually achieved. A survey of the theses and dissertations available on a science teaching documentation center called CEDOC, at Faculty of Education, UNICAMP, will be done. The propose of this survey is the classification of these works according to the following descriptors: school level; conceptions or themes involved; area of Physics, Model of conceptual development; methods and practices of teaching and learning. From the full texts analysis, the models of conceptual change, profile or evolution and their corresponding methods, strategies and teaching resources will be analyzed and identified. Finally it will be produced a text with the data and results founded, making it available for the scientific community and basic education teachers consultation, promoting a greater propagation of the research information and an improvement of the teachers training.