This study investigated the attitudes toward teaching and research among biology faculty in Texas institutions of higher learning. The purposes of the study were to: 1) determine what the attitudes of Texas biology faculty were toward teaching; 2) to determine the attitudes of Texas biology faculty toward research; 3) to determine if biology faculty attitudes toward teaching vary according to faculty rank; 4) to determine if biology faculty attitudes toward research vary according to faculty rank; 5) to determine if attitudes of biology faculty in Texas toward teaching vary according to institutional type; and 6) to determine if attitudes of biology faculty in Texas toward research vary according to institutional type.

This study explored if there are differing beliefs and attitudes regarding working with students of multicultural backgrounds based on the content area specialties (i.e. biology, chemistry, Earth science and physics) of in-service secondary science teachers. The study was mixed methods and conducted in two parts. The first part focused on the use of quantitative statistical analysis to review the results of 152 respondents to a 54 Likert questions on the Survey on Multiculturalism in the Science Classroom (SMSC). The statistical analysis was followed up with qualitative analysis of interviews with 12 in-service science teachers representing the different content areas. Quantitative findings indicated that biology and Earth science teachers demonstrated similar patterns of responses in terms of comparative statistical analysis, network correlation diagrams, and general responses to the Likert items from the SMSC. Of the four content area groups, physics teachers demonstrated the greatest difference in their responses regarding multiculturalism. The results also showed that the beliefs and attitudes of chemistry teachers were correlated with those of physics teachers; this was not the case for biology teachers and Earth science teachers. Themes emerging from a qualitative analysis of the interviews included the following: a) In-service teachers have received little formalized training in regard to working with multicultural students; and b) Differences in teacher beliefs and attitudes reported in this study could be the result of diminishing representation of students from multicultural backgrounds in the different sciences, particularly as students move through a traditional progression from biology, to Earth science, to chemistry, to physics.

Text in Afrikaans / An increase in information accompanied by scientific and technological development necessitates the re-evaluation of the present Biology Curriculum, as the curriculum does not meet the demands of the community. An analysis of the above-mentioned problem reveals the structure and principles of Biology as a subject and the bio-ethic factors which to a larger extend influence man's values as technology and information change. By means of a literature study and personal interviews the development and design of a lifescience curriculum for Biology is formulated. Within this, several aspects concerning the teaching of a lifescience Biology Curriculum will be discussed. Important methods and strategies required for the successful teaching of Biology include a process approach, a constructivism approach, demonstration, discovery, reflective and metalearning, practical work, discussions and co-operative learning methods. The successful teaching of Biology, however, goes hand in hand with effective preservice and inservice training of Biology teachers. / lnformasievermeerdering gepaardgaande met wetenskaplike en tegnologiese ontwikkeling noodsaak 'n herevaluering van die huidige Biologiekurrikulum aangesien die kurrikulum nie voldoen aan die eise en behoeftes van die gemeenskap nie. Ter ontleding van bogenoemde probleem, word die struktuur en grondslae van Biologie as vak en die bio-etiese faktore wat toenemend die mens se waardedimensie beinvloed, namate die tegnologie en inligting verander, bespreek. Deur middel van 'n literatuurstudie en persoonlike onderhoude word die ontwikkeling en ontwerp van 'n Lewenskunde Biologiekurrikulum uiteengesit. Hieruit sal verskeie aspekte rakende die onderrig van 'n Lewenskunde Biologiekurrikulum bespreek word. Belangrike metodes en strategiee wat vir suksesvolle Biologie-onderrig benodig word, sluit die prosesbenadering, 'n konstruktivistiese benadering, demonstrasie-, ontdekkende -, reflektiewe - en metaleer, praktiese werk, besprekings- en kooperatiewe leermetodes in. Die sukses van Biologie-onderrig gaan egter hand-aan-hand met effektiewe voordiens- en indiensopleiding van Biologie-onderwysers. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Didaktiek)

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-02-07T11:04:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Caroline Arantes Magalhães.pdf: 2119746 bytes, checksum: 29ce059f5b99f38bf5b6f430a2e45aff (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-07T11:04:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Caroline Arantes Magalhães.pdf: 2119746 bytes, checksum: 29ce059f5b99f38bf5b6f430a2e45aff (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-01-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Grounded on the mapping of research production on supervised internship in teacher education, especially for the formation of Biology teachers, and on the reality of recent political actions regarding internship for which the legislation points to the increased value of practice in professional formation, actions of basic school teachers have been noticed to be an object of study which enables researchers to learn the characteristics of these basic education professionals and should help Biological Sciences teachers-to-be to get into the school reality. Thus, the present research aims to discuss the actions of these co-teacher educators and investigate how they perceive their role as educators and in which conditions their practice is developed. This study is grounded on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus and on the sociological concepts of experience and logic of actions proposed by François Dubet to understand different dispositions acquired by the teachers. The central hypothesis of this work focuses on understanding the possibility teachers have to report and analyze their experiences in the profession involving life at school and, by doing so, identify the characteristics of their relationship with internees as well as the real contribution of supervised internship to prepare new Biology teachers to start the career. Four major axes of analysis were used to examine the information gathered in the field (choice and entry into the profession, education and action contexts, and self-perception). Patterns were found in the statements, in the expressed forms of thought and in the behaviors of the participants, teachers who acted as supervisors. Many influential factors and a great complexity in their articulation were found in their actions. Relationships among the choice to take up an undergraduate course in Teaching of Biological Sciences, the beginning of experiencing supervised internship, learning the profession, professional trajectories, current positions in the labor market, pedagogical actions and their personal and professional experiences are connected and configure the way each one perceives his work and how they perceive themselves in relation to their internees’ education. It was found that the participants of this research could not recognize themselves as teacher educators, nor did they develop autonomy of thought in relation to the possibility they have, and the condition that the supervisory role gives them to report and analyze their professional experiences in order to contribute socially to the formation of less unprepared Biology teachers / A partir do mapeamento da produção de pesquisa sobre estágio supervisionado na formação docente, especialmente na formação de professores de Biologia, e considerando a realidade das ações políticas recentes sobre os estágios em que a legislação aponta para uma valorização cada vez maior da prática na formação profissional, percebe-se que a constituição das ações dos professores regentes da escola básica como objeto de estudo é um meio de conhecer as características deste profissional da educação básica, que deveria auxiliar a inserção dos seis licenciandos em Ciências Biológicas na realidade escolar. O presente estudo problematiza as ações dos quatro professores coformadores, investigando como percebem seu papel formador e em que condições desenvolvem seu trabalho. Diante disso, a opção teórica foi dirigida aos conceitos de habitus proposto por Pierre Bourdieu para compreensão de diferentes disposições adquiridas a serem detectadas junto aos professores, aliado aos conceitos de sociologia da experiência e lógicas de ação propostos por François Dubet. A hipótese central está na detecção da possibilidade que os professores têm de relatar e analisar suas experiências vividas na profissão envolvendo a vida das escolas e, por tal canal, permitir que se identifiquem as características das relações com os estagiários e a real contribuição que essa atividade pode oferecer na formação de novos professores de Biologia mais preparados para o ingresso na profissão. Quatro grandes eixos de análise (de escolha e ingresso na profissão, de contextos formativos, de ações pedagógicas e auto percepção) perscrutaram as informações coletadas em campo. Foram encontrados padrões nos depoimentos, nas formas de pensamento expressos e nos comportamentos dos professores supervisores. Foram encontrados múltiplos fatores influentes em suas ações bem como uma grande complexidade na articulação dos mesmos. As relações entre a escolha pela Licenciatura em Ciências Biológicas, o início das vivências nos estágios, o aprendizado da profissão, as trajetórias profissionais, as colocações atuais no mercado de trabalho, as ações de natureza pedagógica, suas experiências pessoais e profissionais, estão conectadas entre si e configuram a maneira como cada um percebe seu trabalho e como se percebem diante da formação de seus estagiários. Constatou-se que os sujeitos participantes desta investigação não conseguem se reconhecer como formadores, tampouco desenvolveram autonomia de pensamento em relação à possibilidade que eles têm, e a condição que o papel de supervisão lhes dá para que relatem e analisem suas experiências profissionais a fim de contribuir socialmente com a formação de professores de Biologia menos despreparados

Text in Afrikaans / An increase in information accompanied by scientific and technological development necessitates the re-evaluation of the present Biology Curriculum, as the curriculum does not meet the demands of the community. An analysis of the above-mentioned problem reveals the structure and principles of Biology as a subject and the bio-ethic factors which to a larger extend influence man's values as technology and information change. By means of a literature study and personal interviews the development and design of a lifescience curriculum for Biology is formulated. Within this, several aspects concerning the teaching of a lifescience Biology Curriculum will be discussed. Important methods and strategies required for the successful teaching of Biology include a process approach, a constructivism approach, demonstration, discovery, reflective and metalearning, practical work, discussions and co-operative learning methods. The successful teaching of Biology, however, goes hand in hand with effective preservice and inservice training of Biology teachers. / lnformasievermeerdering gepaardgaande met wetenskaplike en tegnologiese ontwikkeling noodsaak 'n herevaluering van die huidige Biologiekurrikulum aangesien die kurrikulum nie voldoen aan die eise en behoeftes van die gemeenskap nie. Ter ontleding van bogenoemde probleem, word die struktuur en grondslae van Biologie as vak en die bio-etiese faktore wat toenemend die mens se waardedimensie beinvloed, namate die tegnologie en inligting verander, bespreek. Deur middel van 'n literatuurstudie en persoonlike onderhoude word die ontwikkeling en ontwerp van 'n Lewenskunde Biologiekurrikulum uiteengesit. Hieruit sal verskeie aspekte rakende die onderrig van 'n Lewenskunde Biologiekurrikulum bespreek word. Belangrike metodes en strategiee wat vir suksesvolle Biologie-onderrig benodig word, sluit die prosesbenadering, 'n konstruktivistiese benadering, demonstrasie-, ontdekkende -, reflektiewe - en metaleer, praktiese werk, besprekings- en kooperatiewe leermetodes in. Die sukses van Biologie-onderrig gaan egter hand-aan-hand met effektiewe voordiens- en indiensopleiding van Biologie-onderwysers. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Didaktiek)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Considering the multimodal nature of genres (KRESS; VAN LEEUWEN, 2006), the study about how the different semiotic resources articulate is essential, in the sense of motivating the development of knowledge about the semiotic resources that constitute genres, that is, critical multimodal literacy (CML). In order to understand how this knowledge is considered in the school context, the objective of this study is to verify (with focus on static imagetic semiotic resources) how textbooks (TBs) and teachers, of English and Biology, recontextualize the concept of CML. This study is based theoretically and methodologically on the Critical Genre Analysis perspective (MOTTA-ROTH, 2008a), with focus on Multimodal Discourse Analysis (KRESS; VAN LEEUWEN, 1996; 2006). The corpus of this research comprehends a) didactic activities of text comprehension and production from two TBs, one of English language (ELTB) (AGA, 2010) and one of Biology TB (BTB) (AMABIS; MARTHO, 2009), offered by PNLD; and b) interview answers from public school teachers, from Santa Maria, that adopt the selected TBs. The study followed two steps, a contextual and a textual step. In the contextual analysis, the investigation of the TBs contexts of production and distribution involved the analysis of documents related to the TBs in search for linguistic exponents that refer to visual semiotic resources. The analysis of the context of consumption comprehended teachers interviews in order to verify to what extent and how CML is approached in classroom by using TBs. In the textual analysis, we analyzed the activities instructions from the selected TBs in order to find linguistic exponents that make reference to static imagetic semiotic resources. Based on this analysis, we classified the activities according to their focus on CML knowledge that is related to the language levels. The results of the contextual analysis show that the need to consider the visual semiotic resources of texts is recognized in the TBs contexts. In the textual analysis, we verified that the ELTB activities reflect, in part, the contextual results once 50% of the activities refer to visual semiotic resources. Differently, in the BTB, these resources are referred by only 20% of the activities. Regarding the types of knowledge of CML referred by the activities from the TBs and the ones suggested by the teachers on the interviews, we identified a divergence in relation to the contexts of production and distribution: while the TBs and the interviews analysis suggest a focus on lexicogrammar and semantics and pragmatics levels, the analysis of the contexts of production and distribution reveals the focus on the ideological level. The ideological perspective, in the context of production and distribution of TBs, derives from the premise that the knowledge developed in class should not be only related to the propositional content of the area (BRASIL, 2006a; 2006b), but should be in service for an informed participation of the students in society. In this sense, this study shows the urgency of reflecting upon the material we use in class, in order to adapt it, especially considering the development of CML. / Dada a natureza multimodal dos gêneros discursivos (KRESS; van LEEUWEN, 2006), o estudo sobre como os diferentes recursos semióticos se articulam é essencial no sentido de motivar o desenvolvimento de conhecimentos em relação aos recursos semióticos que constituem os gêneros, ou seja, de letramento multimodal crítico (LMC). No intuito de entender como esses conhecimentos são abordados no contexto escolar, o objetivo deste estudo é verificar (com foco nos recursos semióticos imagéticos estáticos) como livros didáticos (LDs) e professores, de inglês e de biologia, recontextualizam o conceito de LMC. Este trabalho tem como base teórica e metodológica a Análise Crítica de Gênero (MOTTA-ROTH, 2008a), com foco na Análise do Discurso Multimodal (KRESS; van LEEUWEN, 2006). O corpus desta pesquisa compreende: a) atividades didáticas de compreensão e produção textual de dois LDs, um de inglês (LDI) e um de biologia (LDB), oferecidos pelo PNLD; e b) respostas a entrevistas de professores de escolas públicas estaduais de Santa Maria, que adotam os LDs selecionados. O estudo se deu em duas etapas: uma contextual e uma textual. Na etapa contextual, a investigação do contexto de produção e de distribuição envolveu a análise de documentos referentes aos LDs em busca de índices linguísticos que se referem a recursos semióticos visuais. A análise do contexto de consumo dos LDs compreendeu entrevistas com professores, no intuito de verificar em que medida e como o LMC é abordado em sala de aula por meio de LDs. Na etapa textual, analisamos os enunciados das atividades didáticas de ambos os LDs a fim de encontrar expoentes linguísticos que fizessem referência a recursos semióticos imagéticos estáticos. A partir dessa verificação, classificamos as atividades de acordo com seu enfoque aos conhecimentos de LMC, que estão relacionados aos estratos linguísticos. Os resultados contextuais apontam que a necessidade de se considerar os recursos semióticos visuais dos textos é reconhecida nos contextos dos LDs. Na análise textual, verificamos que as atividades do LDI refletem, em parte, os resultados da análise contextual, uma vez que 50% das atividades se refere a recursos semióticos visuais. Diferentemente, no LDB, esses recursos são abordados em apenas 20% das atividades. Com relação aos tipos de conhecimentos de LMC abordados pelas atividades dos LDs e pelas atividades sugeridas pelos professores, identificamos uma divergência com relação à análise do contexto de produção e de distribuição: enquanto a análise dos LDs e das entrevistas sugerem um foco nos estratos da lexicogramática e da semântica e pragmática, as análises do contexto de produção e de distribuição revelam o foco no estrato ideológico. Essa perspectiva ideológica, em documentos do contexto de produção e distribuição dos LDs, deriva da premissa de que os conhecimentos desenvolvidos em sala de aula não deveriam estar atrelados apenas ao conteúdo proposicional da área (BRASIL, 2006a; 2006b), mas estar a serviço de uma participação informada do aluno na sociedade. Este estudo, portanto, evidencia a urgência de se refletir sobre o material didático que utilizamos em sala de aula, de modo a adaptá-lo, principalmente no que diz respeito ao desenvolvimento de LMC.

Submitted by Alison Vanceto (alison-vanceto@hotmail.com) on 2017-02-03T10:26:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseMS.pdf: 2786402 bytes, checksum: e76e79b1da9f78ba1066681ace35e06e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Camila Passos (camilapassos@ufscar.br) on 2017-02-08T12:03:39Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseMS.pdf: 2786402 bytes, checksum: e76e79b1da9f78ba1066681ace35e06e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Camila Passos (camilapassos@ufscar.br) on 2017-02-08T12:07:36Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseMS.pdf: 2786402 bytes, checksum: e76e79b1da9f78ba1066681ace35e06e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-08T12:07:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseMS.pdf: 2786402 bytes, checksum: e76e79b1da9f78ba1066681ace35e06e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-20 / Não recebi financiamento / This work falls within the scope of the investigation of the initial teacher training, investigating the Institutional Scholarship Program Introduction to Teaching. This is a case study in which it is carried out an analysis of PIBID-Biology subproject of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), which is part of PIBID UFSCar-institutional project. From an analysis of all documents relating to the implementation of the project at all levels (national, institutional and subproject) as well as the interview with researchers involved in the construction of these projects, we built a description of the processes involving the construction of the national project, as well as the institutional design and, finally, the subproject Biology UFSCar. This first step was the context for understanding, through analysis of reflective portfolios produced by scholars, the dimensions of teaching knowledge built by undergraduates as scholarship students from PIBID. In light of the training teacher references (NÓVOA, 2009; ANDRÉ, 2012, GATTI, BARRETTO & ANDRÉ 2011, Zeichner, 2010, among others), knowledge of the teachers (PEPPER, 2005 Tardif, 2000, 2007) and also Complexity Theory (BONIL & PUJOL, 2008; RIBERAYGUA, 2012; MORIN, 2004, 2005), we realized that, despite the PIBID have characteristics that approach a complex and dynamic model, students have many difficulties in view their performance as part of a complex system that involves not only the classroom but the entire surroundings. We understand that this may occur because not always the PIBID works in coordination with the context , undermining thus functioning as a dynamic and complex system , requiring several adjustments and improvements in this program. / Este trabalho insere-se no âmbito das investigações sobre a formação inicial de professores, investigando o Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação à Docência. Trata-se de um estudo de caso em que é realizada uma análise do subprojeto PIBID-Biologia da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), que se insere no projeto institucional PIBID-UFSCar. A partir de uma análise de todos os documentos referentes à implementação do projeto em todos os âmbitos (nacional, institucional e subprojeto), bem como da entrevista com pesquisadores envolvidos na construção destes projetos, construímos uma descrição dos processos envolvendo a construção do projeto nacional, bem como do projeto institucional e, finalmente, do subprojeto Biologia da UFSCar. Esta primeira etapa constituiu o contexto para compreendermos, através da análise dos portfólios reflexivos produzidos pelos bolsistas, as dimensões de saberes docentes construídos pelos licenciandos enquanto bolsistas do PIBID. À luz dos referenciais de formação docente (NÓVOA, 2009; ANDRÉ, 2012, GATTI, BARRETTO & ANDRÉ, 2011, ZEICHNER, 2010, dentre outros), de saberes docentes (PIMENTA, 2005, TARDIF, 2000, 2007) e também da Teoria da Complexidade (BONIL & PUJOL, 2008; RIBERAYGUA, 2012; MORIN, 2004, 2005), percebemos que, apesar de o PIBID possuir características que o aproximam de um modelo complexo e dinâmico, os bolsistas apresentam muitas dificuldades em visualizar a sua atuação como parte de um sistema complexo, que envolve não apenas a sala de aula, mas todo entorno. Entendemos que isto pode ocorrer porque nem sempre o PIBID funciona de maneira articulada com o contexto, o que prejudica, portanto, o seu funcionamento como um sistema dinâmico e complexo, sendo necessários diversos ajustes e melhorias neste Programa.

Acompanha: Guia de sequências didáticas / A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo verificar as dificuldades enfrentadas pelos professores de Biologia inseridos na Metodologia Oficinas de Aprendizagem para o planejamento e elaboração de suas aulas. Para a realização desta pesquisa foram discutidos os Aspectos Históricos e Tendências para o Ensino de Biologia, o Ensino por Investigação, a Interdisciplinaridade e a Metodologia Oficinas de Aprendizagem. Quanto à coleta e à análise de dados, foi desenvolvida pesquisa-ação qualitativa que teve como sujeitos os professores de Biologia da Rede de Ensino Colégio Sesi, totalizando 20 professores participantes, provenientes de várias unidades do Estado. As informações foram obtidas por meio de um questionário composto por questões abertas para o levantamento de dados referentes às dificuldades e sugestões dos professores de Biologia acerca de suas atividades docentes enquanto inseridos na Metodologia Oficinas de Aprendizagem. Os professores consultados relataram os principais desafios enfrentados para o desenvolvimento de suas aulas, onde pode-se destacar como os principais resultados a falta de materiais para aulas práticas, a dificuldade em realizar o trabalho interdisciplinar e as disciplinas nas quais há maior dificuldade em elaborar atividades compartilhadas com Biologia, como Língua Inglesa, Arte e Sociologia. A partir dos resultados obtidos pelos questionários e com o auxílio dos professores produziu-se o produto da presente pesquisa, um Guia de Sequências Didáticas de Biologia, contendo sugestões de aulas interdisciplinares e atividades contextualizadas com conteúdos de outras disciplinas que visam facilitar a prática docente e promover a interdisciplinaridade no Ensino Médio. / This research aimed to determine the challenges faced by Biology teachers who make use of a method of Learning Workshop in the planning and preparation of their lessons. For this research, historical aspects and trends for Biology education, interdisciplinarity and Learning Workshop methods were discussed. As far as the collection and analysis of data is concerned, Qualitative Action Research was applied. This involved 20 participating Biology teachers from many different School Education Network (SESI) members in the State of Paraná. The information was obtained through an open-ended questionnaire to obtain data relating to difficulties and the suggestions of biology teachers about their teaching activities while being involved in Learning Workshop method. The key results highlighted the lack of material for practical classes, the difficulty in performing interdisciplinary work, and those subjects or courses where the greatest difficulty in preparing shared activities with biology, such as English Language, Art and Sociology was experienced. From the results obtained through the questionnaires, together with the help of teachers, the product of this research was a lesson plan guide that assisted in teaching Biology. It contained suggestions for interdisciplinary classes and contextualized activities with content from other school subjects to facilitate the teaching practice and promote interdisciplinarity in High School Education.

The study of social representations of the environment has been touted as an important tool to understand how a person or a particular group represents the environment and, in the case of teachers, such as Social Representations are relate practices and this theme. From this perspective, this qualitative research analytical and descriptive, has the main objective to identify the Social Representations of the environment of the biology teachers of Centro de Excelência de Sergipe, three located in Aracaju and one in Nossa Senhora da Glória, and check if there has a relationship between the social representations of these teachers and their speech about their practice. The theoretical framework contributes with theories of Moscovici (1978) as well as thinkers like Jodelet (2005), Reigota (2007) and Guimarães (2007), among others. The data collection instruments were a questionnaire and an almost structured interview. The subjects answers regarding the Social Representations of the environment were categorized from anthropocentric, naturalist and globalizing proposals Reigota (1995). Through the analysis of the contents obtained in the questionnaires and interviews, it was evident that 62.5% of teachers have studied a holistic representation of the environment, while 37.5% have a naturalist and anthropocentric representation. With regard to teaching practices developed, one notes that are concentrated in the construction of educational projects focusing on environmental issues. Teachers also cited a number of barriers that allows the practices concerned with environmental issues, such as lack of equipment and lack of student interest. It was also found that not all the teaching practices relate representations that teachers possess. These results show that although more than half of the teachers present a holistic view of the environment, there is still the need to build from initial a more complex design, where interactions involving the environment are beyond the ecological sphere. This broad vision will be passed on to students in the classroom, contributing to the formation of subjects who see themselves as members of the environment whose actions can affect the quality of that environment . / O estudo das Representações Sociais de meio ambiente tem sido apontado como uma importante ferramenta para compreender como um sujeito ou um determinado grupo representa o meio ambiente e, no caso dos docentes, como essas Representações Sociais se relacionam com suas práticas pedagógicas referentes a esse tema. Nessa perspectiva a presente pesquisa de cunho qualitativo, analítico descritivo, tem por objetivo principal identificar as Representações Sociais de meio ambiente dos(as) professores(as) de Biologia dos Centros de Excelência de Sergipe, três deles localizados em Aracaju e um em Nossa Senhora da Glória, e ainda verificar se existe relação entre as Representações Sociais desses professores e o seu discurso sobre a sua prática pedagógica. O referencial teórico encontra aporte nas teorias de Moscovici (1978) além de pensadores como Jodelet (2005), Reigota (2007) e Guimarães (2007), dentre outros. Os instrumentos de coleta de dados foram o questionário e a entrevista semi-estruturada. As respostas dos sujeitos a respeito das Representações Sociais de meio ambiente foram categorizadas a partir das propostas antropocêntrica, naturalista e globalizante de Reigota (1995). Através das análises dos conteúdos obtidos nos questionários e nas entrevistas, ficou evidenciado que 62,5% dos professores estudados possuem uma representação globalizante de meio ambiente, enquanto 37,5% possuem representação naturalista e antropocêntrica. No que se refere às práticas docentes desenvolvidas, nota-se que estão concentradas na construção de projetos pedagógicos com temática ambiental. Os professores citaram ainda uma série de obstáculos que permeiam as práticas voltadas às questões ambientais, como a falta de material e a falta de interesse dos alunos. Constatou-se também que nem sempre as práticas pedagógicas se relacionam as representações que os professores possuem. Esses resultados revelam, que apesar de mais da metade dos professores apresentarem uma visão globalizante de meio ambiente, há ainda a necessidade de se construir desde a formação inicial uma representação mais complexa, na qual as interações que envolvem o meio ambiente estejam além da esfera ecológica. Essa visão globalizante será repassada para os alunos em sala de aula, contribuindo para a formação de sujeitos que percebam-se como integrantes do meio ambiente, cujas ações podem interferir na qualidade desse meio.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Libya, as one of the third world countries, is struggling to address the issue of transformation and various institutional reforms (including the education system). For example, it has been observed that many biology teachers are faced with challenges relating to both subject matter knowledge (SMK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) yet the expectation of the new curriculum is that biology teachers demonstrate professional efficacy in their work regardless of the challenges they face. In light of this, a group of Libyan secondary school biology teachers was investigated in Tripoli through a participatory action research process. The study was underpinned by the Shulman theory of PCK using a mixed-methods design to generate an understanding of the theory of basic knowledge of teaching. This investigation examined the influence of an in-service training programme consisting of three components of PCK namely: teachers‘ subject matter knowledge (SMK); use of instructional strategies; and understanding of learners on a group of Libyan biology teachers‘ instructional practices. On the one hand, the investigation considered their theoretical knowledge, and their experiences during the professional development programme aimed at designing new teaching and learning activities and materials while on the other hand, it considered their practical knowledge in terms of their professional skills or their practical use of what has been learned during their pre-service training as well as what they learned during the professional development programme. Specifically, the study focused on biology teachers from the Hai Alandalus District (Libya). This representation enabled me to unveil the PCK components held to some extent by the Libyan teachers in general. Moreover, the PCK representation has also enabled me to clarify the category of the teachers‘ PCK in the Libyan context especially as their PCK was unknown at the commencement of the study. The findings have shown that the professional development used in the study facilitated the biology teachers‘ ability in several ways such as increased their PCK and SMK; improved their ability to organize activity-based lessons; increased their desire to use a variety of instructional strategies; increased the understanding of their learners‘ needs; improved their awareness that their learners‘ performance is not unrelated to their socio-economic background; and so on. Overall, the findings suggest that designing and implementing new teaching and learning activities and materials based on the teachers‘ knowledge, experiences, and needs, in a workshop context could provide an enabling learning environment for them as well as facilitate their potential to provide a powerful means for increasing their PCK, SMK and understanding their learners. The study also reveals that there is a great necessity for designers to mount professional development programmes that take into consideration the teachers‘ PCK to meaningfully promote their professional development and instructional practices.