O PROCESSO FORMATIVO DE PROFESSORES DE CIÊNCIAS DA NATUREZA À LUZ DA PSICOLOGIA POSITIVA: Experiências e ressignificações a partir de uma pesquisa-ação

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the development of activities based on Positive Psychology in the training of teachers in the area of Natural Sciences and the process of personal and professional development of the participants of a group in a collaborative perspective. The training course followed by the group, although flexible, was carried out in order to characterize its constitutive elements in order to analyze possibilities and realities provided by the training, in the connection in/to the process of personal and professional development of the participants. The theoretical-methodological framework is based on the conceptions of Paulo Freire and Antônio Nóvoa that understand human development resulting from relations with history and the social context. As a theoretical foundation of Positive Psychology, it presents the concepts of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Martin Seligman. This research is part of a qualitative perspective, inspired by action research. The study is also within the scope of research-education, as it involves collaborative work with a reflective group of teachers, whose aim is to understand the relationships of different areas of life with pedagogical practice and with the knowledge of experience. The empirical field of investigation is the Federal University of Viçosa – Campus Florestal, Florestal-MG, located in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. The participating subjects are students in the final periods of Degrees in Chemistry and Biology and professors at the beginning of their professional careers. The data were produced based on the transcription of narratives, on the audiographed record of weekly training meetings, during 6 months and on the elaboration of a field diary. The results focus on the importance of working with training groups, as it enabled reflections and changes in the participants' personal and professional lives. It was observed that problems related to planning and understanding of the different areas of life, self-knowledge and the lack of spaces to express these issues, hindered the personal and professional development of the participants. Other difficulties were shown in the relational aspect – in social circles and in the work environment – which directly reflected in the pedagogical propositions and practices. As positive points, we highlight the strengthening of the group as a welcoming, positioning and collaboration environment, and, individually, the constitution of a more attentive look at oneself. The research also suggests that teachers' performances in the school environment are linked to their daily personal experiences and that, when teachers find spaces to re-signify their lived experiences, they can jointly build strategies to face their personal challenges and professionals, the possibilities for change in their ways of thinking and acting are expanded.