Cette recherche doctorale s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une démarche clinique d’orientation psychanalytique en sciences de l’éducation. Elle porte sur l’enseignement de la philosophie en France, tel qu’il est actuellement dispensé dans les classes terminales des séries générales et technologiques des lycées. Elle est consacrée, plus particulièrement, à la manière dont des professeurs de philosophie vivent l’acte d’enseigner leur discipline. Le matériel empirique est constitué d’entretiens cliniques non-directifs qui ont été réalisés auprès de six professeurs de philosophie de l’enseignement secondaire interviewés à partir de la consigne suivante : « J’aimerais que vous me disiez, comme ça vous vient, comment vous vivez le fait d’enseigner la philosophie ». La thèse comporte trois parties : certaines questions relatives à la construction de l’objet de recherche et à l’analyse de l’implication et du contre-transfert du chercheur constituent la première partie de ce travail. La deuxième partie comporte des éléments d’analyses pédagogiques, historiographiques et cliniques de l’enseignement de la philosophie au lycée. La troisième partie est consacrée à l’analyse des entretiens cliniques. Elle comporte des éléments de réflexion d’ordre épistémologique et méthodologique et propose une mise en perspective des entretiens et de certaines de leurs thématiques transversales. / This doctoral research is part of a clinical approach of psychoanalytical orientation in the sciences of education. It deals with the teaching of philosophy in France, as it is currently taught in the final year of high school in the academic and technological classes. It is devoted, more particularly, to the way in which teachers experience the teaching of their subject. The empirical material consists of non-directive clinical interviews that were conducted with six secondary education philosophy teachers interviewed from the following instruction : « I would like you to tell me, as it comes to you, what you feel when you teach philosophy ». The thesis is divided into three parts : some questions relating to the construction of the research subject and to the analysis of the implication and the countertransference of the researcher constitute the first part of this work. The second part includes elements of pedagogical, historiographical and clinical analysis of the teaching of philosophy in high school. The third part is devoted to the analysis of clinical interviews. It includes elements of epistemological and methodological reflection putting into perspective the interviews and some of their interdisciplinary themes.

Acompanha: A experimentação nas aulas de Biologia como promotora da alfabetização científica: sequência didática / O ensino de Biologia, assim como qualquer outra área de conhecimento, exige aprimoramento e criatividade constantes a fim de melhorar o aprendizado e despertar o envolvimento dos alunos. Com o declínio do interesse dos alunos pela Ciência, deve-se pensar em possibilidades que os aproximem novamente dos processos o de fazer ciências, instigando-os ao pensamento científico. Para tanto, é preciso levá-los a observar, experimentar, levantar hipóteses e interpretar resultados, correlacionando-os ao cotidiano, contextualizando o ensino e o tornando útil à vida. Tais anseios estão presentes nesta pesquisa, que objetiva a implementação de aulas experimentais, contextualizadas, que possibilitem não somente a compreensão do mundo, mas também uma formação educacional autônoma, social, tornando-os assim alunos alfabetizados cientificamente. A presente pesquisa foi realizada em um colégio estadual do Estado do Paraná, na cidade Curitiba, e envolveu alunos do Ensino Médio das 1.o, 2.o e 3.o ano. A avaliação da pesquisa pautou-se nas respostas de questões-problemas, possibilitando ao educando relacionar a prática a situações vivenciadas no dia a dia, como alimentação, doenças etc. Utilizou-se o processo quali quantitativo na observação das respostas antes e após cada aula, verificando a porcentagem e a qualidade das respostas. O resultado mostra a diferença nas respostas, pelo aumento do número de acertos e pelo aprimoramento delas, relacionando o conteúdo científico à resolução de questões inerentes ao cotidiano. Ao concluir o trabalho, observa-se que os objetivos foram atingidos, formular uma sequência didática composta por aulas experimentais e alfabetizar cientificamente por meio dessas aulas, com vistas a aprimorar o ensino de Biologia. / Biology teaching, as well as any other area of knowledge, requires improvement and constant creativity in order to improve learning and arouse the student interest. Due to the increasing lack of interest in science on the student part, we should provide new possibilities towards making them enjoy taking part in scientific processes, such as developing scientific thoughts, observing, trying, suggesting hypothesis and interpreting results correlating them to everyday facts thus contextualizing teaching and making it useful to life. The present research aims at implementing contextualized experimental classes that not only enable students to understand the world, but also provide a socially autonomous education addressed to shape students with scientific literacy. The research was implemented at a State school in Curitiba, State of Paraná in Brazil and covered middle school first, second and third grade students and its assessment was based on the problem question answers that allowed the researchers to relate practice to day-by-day situations, such as feeding, diseases etc. We used the qualitative-quantitative process to check answer percentage and quality before and after each class. The result showed answer differences concerning increased number of successes and improvement, as well as the relation between scientific contents and solution of day-by-day problems. As a conclusion, we inferred that the research objectives were met through the formulation of a didactic sequence comprising experimental classes that produced scientifically literate students thus improving biology teaching.

Acompanha: A experimentação nas aulas de Biologia como promotora da alfabetização científica: sequência didática / O ensino de Biologia, assim como qualquer outra área de conhecimento, exige aprimoramento e criatividade constantes a fim de melhorar o aprendizado e despertar o envolvimento dos alunos. Com o declínio do interesse dos alunos pela Ciência, deve-se pensar em possibilidades que os aproximem novamente dos processos o de fazer ciências, instigando-os ao pensamento científico. Para tanto, é preciso levá-los a observar, experimentar, levantar hipóteses e interpretar resultados, correlacionando-os ao cotidiano, contextualizando o ensino e o tornando útil à vida. Tais anseios estão presentes nesta pesquisa, que objetiva a implementação de aulas experimentais, contextualizadas, que possibilitem não somente a compreensão do mundo, mas também uma formação educacional autônoma, social, tornando-os assim alunos alfabetizados cientificamente. A presente pesquisa foi realizada em um colégio estadual do Estado do Paraná, na cidade Curitiba, e envolveu alunos do Ensino Médio das 1.o, 2.o e 3.o ano. A avaliação da pesquisa pautou-se nas respostas de questões-problemas, possibilitando ao educando relacionar a prática a situações vivenciadas no dia a dia, como alimentação, doenças etc. Utilizou-se o processo quali quantitativo na observação das respostas antes e após cada aula, verificando a porcentagem e a qualidade das respostas. O resultado mostra a diferença nas respostas, pelo aumento do número de acertos e pelo aprimoramento delas, relacionando o conteúdo científico à resolução de questões inerentes ao cotidiano. Ao concluir o trabalho, observa-se que os objetivos foram atingidos, formular uma sequência didática composta por aulas experimentais e alfabetizar cientificamente por meio dessas aulas, com vistas a aprimorar o ensino de Biologia. / Biology teaching, as well as any other area of knowledge, requires improvement and constant creativity in order to improve learning and arouse the student interest. Due to the increasing lack of interest in science on the student part, we should provide new possibilities towards making them enjoy taking part in scientific processes, such as developing scientific thoughts, observing, trying, suggesting hypothesis and interpreting results correlating them to everyday facts thus contextualizing teaching and making it useful to life. The present research aims at implementing contextualized experimental classes that not only enable students to understand the world, but also provide a socially autonomous education addressed to shape students with scientific literacy. The research was implemented at a State school in Curitiba, State of Paraná in Brazil and covered middle school first, second and third grade students and its assessment was based on the problem question answers that allowed the researchers to relate practice to day-by-day situations, such as feeding, diseases etc. We used the qualitative-quantitative process to check answer percentage and quality before and after each class. The result showed answer differences concerning increased number of successes and improvement, as well as the relation between scientific contents and solution of day-by-day problems. As a conclusion, we inferred that the research objectives were met through the formulation of a didactic sequence comprising experimental classes that produced scientifically literate students thus improving biology teaching.

An adequate understanding of the nature of science (NOS) has become increasingly important for science teachers in South Africa as comprehensive curricular reforms over the past decade include promoting informed understandings of the ontological and epistemological bases of scientific knowledge and the methods of science. The main objective of this study was to explore the NOS understandings held by a sample of science teachers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data were generated via questionnaires (n=136), semi-structured interviews (n=31), and classroom observations (n=8). The teacher interviews, which were informed by the questionnaire data, enabled further interrogation of the teachers’ philosophical positions. Their classroom practices were examined within the framework of these philosophical positions and the requirements of the new curriculum. The effect of implicit and explicit instruction in NOS on these teachers’ beliefs and classroom activities was also considered. A mixed-method approach informed by positivist and interpretivist perspectives was used for the collection and analysis of the data. The data suggests that explicit instruction in NOS resulted in more informed conceptions of science and the scientific enterprise, and that these conceptions were reflected, to a degree, in their classroom behaviours. However, it was noted that the teachers in this study often held philosophically eclectic views of the nature of scientific knowledge and how scientists develop ideas. Similarly, the South African National Curriculum Statement portrays science in contrasting ways, i.e. often within a modern/realist framework, but in other instances within postmodern/relativistic understandings (particularly in terms of indigenous knowledge systems). As such, an approach which aims at providing a firm foundation for understanding NOS ideas within a modern/realist perspective before emphasising the postmodern/relativist aspects of the scientific enterprise is suggested for teacher training and curriculum development.

The Thesis deals with possibility of teaching ethics. It explores philosophy of education and ethics. Basic question is whether it is even reasonable to teach ethics. Thesis also reflects the essence and nature of upbringing and education. In final chapter the thesis comes to synthesis of philosophy of education and ethics. Points of focus from previous chapters are merged together and author tries to show a path with elementary starting points. Author concludes that ethics can be taught by philosophical discussion, thinking and by combined discovery of theoretical philosophy. Ethics that grows from philosophical thinking and thinking process itself may develop the ability of students to pose important questions and deeply reflect ethical issues. They establish ethical outlook and inner understanding. They aim for uplifting the listeners, to shake their human psyche, to stir unrest in their souls. Goal of teachers of this subject is to challenge current certanties. Teachers have the possiblity to teach their students to think philosophically by introducing them to philosophical thinking, where thinking is defined as "Thinking in bigger picture". Keywords Ethics, Ethical Education, Philosophy of Education, Philosophy, Education, Philosophical Reflection, Ethical Dimension of Teaching

Recent studies on human cognition have presented credible evidence that learners are not tabula rasa as previously conceived by traditional theorists, rather they enter new lessons with some preconceptions, most of which are resistant to change in spite of teachers' efforts to assuage them. As such the challenges confronting science educators and educational psychologists are to understand the nature of learners' preconceptions, designing and implement appropriate instructional interventions that would enable the learners become aware of and reconcile their conceptions that are inconsistent with accepted views of science. Several perspectives have been advocated on how learners' preconceptions can be modified through instructions. While traditional theorists subscribe to substitution of inaccurate conceptions with accurate ones, the constructivists identify with giving the learners autonomy to inquire and re-evaluate their own ideas. The former has been confronted with widespread criticism and is becoming less and less tenable. This research identifies with the latter. Conceptual change entails restructuring of ideas. It is a cognitive process that involves change in attitude toward learning. Based on the theoretical assumption that learning is facilitated through teaching that give the learners autonomy search to new ideas, verify them, and restructure existing ideas, I developed a model of conceptual change from where I deduced the four sub variables of the conceptual change that this study explored. The sub variables include formulation of ideas, search for new ideas, review of meaning, and transfer of knowledge. My assumption was that conceptual change can be facilitated through instructions that engage learners in experiences relevant to the four sub variables that I have mentioned. This conceptual framework served as my reference point for the designing of the Constructivist Teaching Model that consists of four instructional phases. Judging that I was resident and working in Seychelles as a teacher trainer at a time I developed the Constructivist Teaching Model, I chose to implement and evaluate it first in Seychelles. Hence this study is titled `The implementation and evaluation of a constructivist intervention in secondary school science teaching in Seychelles'. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the constructivist teaching model as an intervention to facilitate conceptual change. Basically, there are two main aims of this study. First, to investigate to what extent the constructivist teaching model facilitates conceptual change. Secondly, to investigate if the paradigms shift from the traditional method to the constructivist method of science teaching is welcomed in Seychelles. This study was carried out in two phases Pretest and Evaluation. Pretest was aimed at identifying the weaknesses of the initial version of my model of constructivist teaching with a view to eliminate those weaknesses to further strengthen the model. In a nutshell pretest was a step taken to enhance the validity of the model. Evaluation on the other hand was aimed at making a judgment whether a difference actually exists between the learners that received constructivist instruction and those that received traditional lecture instruction in terms of the four sub variables of conceptual change. To enable for this judgment necessitated an experiment. The experiment was conducted with a total of six secondary schools selected from the ten secondary schools on the island. The participants included 178 learners, 6 science teachers and 8 independent persons. The learners were constituted into three Bands; 1, 2 and 3. Each Band consisted of a Control group and an Experimental group. Altogether six groups were formed, with 3 Control groups and 3 Experimental groups. There were 59 learners in Band 1, comprising of 29 learners in the Control group and 30 learners in the Experimental group; Band 2 comprised a Control group of 25 learners and an Experimental group of 28 learners; and Band 3 consisted of 33 learners in each group. The learners in Band 1 were used for pretest that lasted for five week. The learners in Bands 2 and 3 were used in the evaluation that lasted for thirteen weeks. The groups were non-equivalent, suggesting that randomisation was not possible as the learners were in intact classes. Learners in the experimental groups received constructivist instruction while their counterparts in the control groups received traditional lecture instruction. Both groups were exposed to the same experimental conditions except in the methods of teaching. Data was collected through teacher interviews, independent observation, measurement of learners' achievement, and analysis of documents. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was analysed on the basis of content or meaning of the information given by the respondents. Following the design of this study the performance and achievements of learners that received constructivist instruction were compared with their counterparts who received traditional instruction. Guiding this study are two main assumptions. The first is the assumption of equality of the variance, and the second is the assumption of normality of the distribution. The results of Levene's test of equality of variances indicated a violation of the assumption of homogeneity of the variances of TI and CI groups while the results of test of skewness and kurtosis give the indication of normality of distribution of scores in both groups. The results of descriptive statistics analysis showed that the learners who received constructivist instruction performed better than the learners that received traditional instruction in terms of formulation of ideas, search for new ideas, review of meaning, and transfer of knowledge. The results of inferential statistics showed that the difference in the means of the two groups on each of the sub variables of conceptual change is significant. This evidence indicates that my model of constructivist teaching produced an effect measuring 0.86 and a power of 0.85 based on Cohen's Blueprint, and a reliability of 0.72 based on Cronbach's test of internal consistency. Besides statistical evidence, analysis of the opinions of science teachers who implemented the Constructivist Teaching Model in their respective classes and the independent persons who observed teaching and learning in both the experimental and control groups showed a preference for the constructivist approach over the traditional approach. On the grounds of the evidence gathered through observation and measurement this study concludes that the constructivist approach to science teaching is more effective than traditional lecture approach in facilitating the ability of secondary school learners in Seychelles to reconstruct ideas. This study also found that science educationists in Seychelles welcome the paradigm shift from the traditional approach to the constructivist approach. / Educational Studies / D. Educ. (Psychology of Education)

随着教师研究关注点从教师行为发展到教师认知，教师信念成为重要的研究议题。职前教师教育政策性文本也开始关注教师信念等问题，促进师范生信念的改变成为职前教育的目标。在教师信念研究中，基于中国大陆职前教育背景的师范生信念的动态研究相对比较少。 / 本研究采用质性研究取向、个案研究策略，选取了P师范大学英语专业和学前教育专业共8位师范生为研究对象。通过深度访谈、文件分析等方法搜集田野研究数据，探究在职前教育阶段师范生信念的发展变化，并分析影响师范生信念发展变化的因素。 / 研究发现，在专业课后，学前教育专业师范生都转向幼儿中心的信念取向；实习后，学前教育专业师范生信念出现回归倾向。英语专业师范生在专业课后信念发展变化有一些多样性。师范生信念的转变可以分为两组，专业课学习之后，EFL-X、EFL-Q这两位师范生信念呈现整合的特点，实习后，两位师范生信念转向以传统教师中心取向为主。而另外两个英语专业师范生则呈现另一类型。专业课后，EFL-Z、EFL-R两位师范生持有学生中心的信念取向，实习后，他们的信念呈现整合的特点。师范生信念的发展是一个动态的过程，师范生信念由基于个人经验的信念发展初期，发展到基于理论的信念发展阶段，再发展到基于情境的、经验的信念发展阶段，这一阶段师范生信念出现具体化，回归传统两种发展变化形态。 / 在不同的阶段中，影响师范生信念的因素具有差异性。在专业课学习阶段，学前教育教育专业师范生信念受职前教育课程影响比较明显。师范生接受专业理论课程时，师范生进行一致性检验，新习得的信息与原有的基于个人经历形成的信念不一致，出现认知冲突，认知冲突是信念改变的开始。专业课传递的理念处于比较强势的地位，同化了之前基于社会文化及个人因素形成的信念，基于专业课形成的信念还要反复地通过实践环节进行一致性的检验。学前教育专业主干课程的课程内容强调儿童中心，理论课程的学习阶段有见习环节，见习的重要作用在于及时强化师范生在专业课程中习得的信念。大学教师在教学中注重学生参与、注重实践性，课程组织以及大学教师的教学方式都符合情境学习理论所强调的通过即时的情境、注重学习材料的真实性，在参与实践的过程中学习的理念。结合真实的情境进行学习，容易引起师范生的认知冲突，因此，学前教育专业师范生信念改变比较明显。英语专业职前教育课程理论课程与实践课程相分离，在专业课形成理念得不到及时的强化，不利于师范生信念的改变。英语知识课程理念和教师职业教育类课程所强调的理念有一些不一致，是导致专业课后英语专业师范生信念出现差异性的原因之一。 / 实习过程中，师范生信念主要受情境性因素、基于实践的反思、社会性互动影响。师范生在实习过程中教学实践与信念的一致性强化专业课习得的信念，信念的发展形态为具体化。如果实践和师范生持有的信念不一致，出现认知冲突，伴随比较消极的情绪，师范信念开始动摇，出现回归的倾向，出现信念的重新整合或回归教师中心的信念取向。 / 个人、社会方面的因素对师范生信念有所影响，高中学习经历是影响大一英语专业师范生信念形成的因素。实习阶段，受考试文化因素的影响，师范生信念发生回归传统的倾向。另外，师范生的个人性格、个人性别、其他学习经历制约职前教育课程对个人信念影响的大小。 / With the shift of focus in teacher research from teachers’ behavior to teachers’ cognition, teachers’ beliefs have become an important research issue. Recently, pre-service teacher education policies have begun to pay attention to teachers’ beliefs. Promoting changes in the beliefs of pre-service teachers should be one of the central tasks of pre-service teacher education. However, few studies of pre-service teachers’ beliefs have been conducted in the context of mainland Chinese pre-service teacher training programs. / The present research followed a qualitative research approach and employed the case study method. Eight students of a normal university, four pre-service teachers majoring in English and four majoring in preschool education, participated in the study. The researcher collected data through in-depth interviews and document analysis to address the following questions. How do pre-service teachers’ beliefs develop during pre-service teacher education? What factors would effect changes in the beliefs of pre-service teachers? / The results show that before their teaching practicum the preschool education majors tended to hold child-centered beliefs, whereas after it their beliefs tended to reflect a traditional teacher-centered orientation. The changes in the beliefs of the English majors exhibited greater variety, although two general types of belief-changes were observed. Two of the English majors showed an integration of teacher-and student-centered beliefs before the teaching practicum, and reverted to teacher-centered beliefs after it. The other two originally held student-centered beliefs, and then moved toward an integration of teacher-and student-centered beliefs after the teaching practicum. / The influential factors in changing the participating pre-service teachers’ beliefs differed at different stages of the research. The preschool education majors were affected by the university curriculum in significant ways, and then tried to reconcile their experience in the teaching practicum with a theoretical perspective. Cognitive conflict arose when there was a discrepancy between teaching experience and earlier held beliefs, leading to a change in beliefs. Beliefs based on formal education tend to be influential and to assimilate pre-existing beliefs based on personal experience and the prevailing culture, but need to be consolidated by practice. The preschool education curriculum emphasizes child-centered beliefs, which are to be strengthened by internship experience. Normal universities emphasize the full participation of pre-service teachers, and preschool education majors have many opportunities to learn through practice. The organization of the curriculum and teaching methods are in line with situated learning theory, which emphasizes the situated nature of the learning process in the immediate context and the use of authentic learning materials. For English majors, in contrast, the curriculum and practice are separated. Beliefs shaped by the courses taken are not immediately strengthened by practice, and are thus more resistant to change. What is more, there are inconsistences between English subject courses and educational theory courses. That discrepancy appears to be the main reason for the diversity in pre-service teachers’ beliefs observed in this research. / During the teaching practicum, participants’ beliefs were affected by the context, reflection on practices, and social interaction. Consistency between practice and beliefs reinforced their beliefs, whereas discrepancies led to negative emotions and belief-regression. / Personal factors and the assessment-centered culture that prevails in mainland China also affected the participating pre-service teachers’ beliefs. The main influence on those beliefs was the participants’ own educational experience, which was largely characterized by an emphasis on assessment. During the teaching practicum, this assessment-centered culture prompted the English majors to resort to a traditional teacher-centered orientation. Also, personal factors such as personality, sex, and additional learning experiences, influenced the effectiveness of the teacher training program in shifting the beliefs of all participating pre-service teachers. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 李玲. / Parallel title from added title page. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2015. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 238-261). / Abstracts also in English. / Li Ling.

蘇子 = The teaching beliefs of pre-primary school teachers in Hong Kong : case studies / So Gabriel. / 論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2004. / 參考文獻 (p. 290-306). / 中英文摘要. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Su Zi = The teaching beliefs of pre-primary school teachers in Hong Kong : case studies / So Gabriel. / Zhong Ying wen zhai yao. / Lun wen (zhe xue bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2004. / Can kao wen xian (p. 290-306).

Analisar as possibilidades de superação das manifestações do fracasso escolar na atividade pedagógica a partir da mediação do conhecimento teórico-filosófico no ensino da Filosofia é parte de uma pesquisa que se fundamenta nos pressupostos teórico-metodológicos da Teoria Histórico-Cultural. O fracasso escolar, apresentado como fenômeno sociopolítico, produzido no seio da instituição delegada oficialmente para promover o ensino e a aprendizagem, a escola, é referendado por várias teorias na sociedade de classes. Nesse sentido, o pressuposto da presente pesquisa é que o fracasso escolar tem por expressão substancial a ausência da apropriação do conhecimento teórico pelos escolares e que isso os afasta de sua atividade enquanto estudantes. Segundo essa constatação, é engendrada a necessidade de promover no contexto escolar o oposto, a objetivação do ensino por meio da mediação do conhecimento teórico-filosófico na atividade pedagógica. A pesquisa de campo é organizada a partir dos pressupostos do experimento didático que se constitui como procedimento metodológico cuja finalidade é produzir e executar na realidade escolar um ensino sistematizado para impulsionar o desenvolvimento dos sujeitos que integram a atividade pedagógica. O plano de ensino elaborado para o experimento didático e executado no interior da escola, na sala de aula, tem como sujeitos a própria pesquisadora, enquanto professora de Filosofia da rede pública de ensino do Estado de São Paulo, e 32 estudantes, jovens de uma turma da terceira série do Ensino Médio. Os dados foram estudados a partir dos elementos de análise e das vivências produzidas no experimento didático, identificados como episódios de ensino, a saber: 1. Da Admiração ao Conhecimento Teórico-Filosófico; 2. A Apropriação da Linguagem para a Emancipação Humana; 3. Consciência Filosófica e Consciência Crítica; 4. O Socioafetivo como Constituinte do Coletivo na Atividade Pedagógica; 5. Como o Filosofar é Sair da Caverna; 6. O Poder do Conhecimento para o Domínio da Conduta; 7. O Trabalho Coletivo como Expressão do Socioafetivo na Atividade Pedagógica; e 8. A Atividade de Estudo como Instrumento de Saída da Caverna. Os resultados indicam que é possível notar a alteração no desenvolvimento dos estudantes quando, no processo de mediação dos signos e símbolos culturais dados na Filosofia, estes passam a organizar meios para a atividade que lhes é atribuída, a atividade de estudo, na integração com a atividade que lhes é própria, a comunicação íntima pessoal, a fim de (re)qualificar sua relação com o conhecimento teórico. A transformação da consciência dos estudantes é evidenciada como expressão da qualidade da atividade que executam. Para impulsionar o desenvolvimento psicológico dos estudantes, tal atividade deve estar vinculada a um ensino intencionalmente direcionado para a transformação da consciência, de forma a impactar os aspectos subjetivos e objetivos das funções psicológicas superiores e conduzir os estudantes para a generacidade humana. / The current research aims to analyze some actions to overcome school failure manifestations on pedagogical activity through the mediation of theoretical and philosophical in teaching Philosophy. In that sense, the research is based on methodologies of Cultural-historical Theory. School failure is a sociopolitical issue in which the school, the official institution responsible for education, is still endorsed by several theories in class society (e.g.: a system that benefits the stronger groups while the weaker ones struggle). At that point, the current study considers that school failure is mainly related to the students lack of theoretical knowledge. Taking that educational background into account, it is consequently necessary to rethink the horizon of learning practices through a theoretical and philosophical approach. The field research is based on specific educational principles whose methodology is systematizing strategies in order encourage students during the pedagogical activity. The learning plan for the didactic experiment in the classrooms was implemented by the researcher (Philosophy teacher in public high schools in the state of Sao Paulo) with her 32 high school students. The following data were analyzed in this educational project and were also identified as learning events: 1. From Appreciation to the Theoretical-Philosophical Knowledge; 2. The Language Acquisition for Human Emancipation; 3. Philosophical Awareness and Critical Awareness; 4. The Socio-Affective and the idea of Group/Collectiveness in Pedagogical Activity; 5. How philosophizing is Coming out of our Caves; 6. The Power of Knowledge for the Code of Conduct; 7. The Group Activity as a Socio-Affective Expression; 8. The Study as a Useful Tool to Come out of the Cave. Final results revealed a notable change in the students interaction, since the mediation of signs and cultural symbols in Philosophy classes allowed them [the students] to improve the intimate communication and the theoretical knowledge as well. In consequence, the quality of the students activities certifies that transformation of consciousness. In order to stimulate their psychological development, the activity was driven towards the subjective and objective aspects of higher mental functions, also leading students to human generalities.

Recent studies on human cognition have presented credible evidence that learners are not tabula rasa as previously conceived by traditional theorists, rather they enter new lessons with some preconceptions, most of which are resistant to change in spite of teachers' efforts to assuage them. As such the challenges confronting science educators and educational psychologists are to understand the nature of learners' preconceptions, designing and implement appropriate instructional interventions that would enable the learners become aware of and reconcile their conceptions that are inconsistent with accepted views of science. Several perspectives have been advocated on how learners' preconceptions can be modified through instructions. While traditional theorists subscribe to substitution of inaccurate conceptions with accurate ones, the constructivists identify with giving the learners autonomy to inquire and re-evaluate their own ideas. The former has been confronted with widespread criticism and is becoming less and less tenable. This research identifies with the latter. Conceptual change entails restructuring of ideas. It is a cognitive process that involves change in attitude toward learning. Based on the theoretical assumption that learning is facilitated through teaching that give the learners autonomy search to new ideas, verify them, and restructure existing ideas, I developed a model of conceptual change from where I deduced the four sub variables of the conceptual change that this study explored. The sub variables include formulation of ideas, search for new ideas, review of meaning, and transfer of knowledge. My assumption was that conceptual change can be facilitated through instructions that engage learners in experiences relevant to the four sub variables that I have mentioned. This conceptual framework served as my reference point for the designing of the Constructivist Teaching Model that consists of four instructional phases. Judging that I was resident and working in Seychelles as a teacher trainer at a time I developed the Constructivist Teaching Model, I chose to implement and evaluate it first in Seychelles. Hence this study is titled `The implementation and evaluation of a constructivist intervention in secondary school science teaching in Seychelles'. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the constructivist teaching model as an intervention to facilitate conceptual change. Basically, there are two main aims of this study. First, to investigate to what extent the constructivist teaching model facilitates conceptual change. Secondly, to investigate if the paradigms shift from the traditional method to the constructivist method of science teaching is welcomed in Seychelles. This study was carried out in two phases Pretest and Evaluation. Pretest was aimed at identifying the weaknesses of the initial version of my model of constructivist teaching with a view to eliminate those weaknesses to further strengthen the model. In a nutshell pretest was a step taken to enhance the validity of the model. Evaluation on the other hand was aimed at making a judgment whether a difference actually exists between the learners that received constructivist instruction and those that received traditional lecture instruction in terms of the four sub variables of conceptual change. To enable for this judgment necessitated an experiment. The experiment was conducted with a total of six secondary schools selected from the ten secondary schools on the island. The participants included 178 learners, 6 science teachers and 8 independent persons. The learners were constituted into three Bands; 1, 2 and 3. Each Band consisted of a Control group and an Experimental group. Altogether six groups were formed, with 3 Control groups and 3 Experimental groups. There were 59 learners in Band 1, comprising of 29 learners in the Control group and 30 learners in the Experimental group; Band 2 comprised a Control group of 25 learners and an Experimental group of 28 learners; and Band 3 consisted of 33 learners in each group. The learners in Band 1 were used for pretest that lasted for five week. The learners in Bands 2 and 3 were used in the evaluation that lasted for thirteen weeks. The groups were non-equivalent, suggesting that randomisation was not possible as the learners were in intact classes. Learners in the experimental groups received constructivist instruction while their counterparts in the control groups received traditional lecture instruction. Both groups were exposed to the same experimental conditions except in the methods of teaching. Data was collected through teacher interviews, independent observation, measurement of learners' achievement, and analysis of documents. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was analysed on the basis of content or meaning of the information given by the respondents. Following the design of this study the performance and achievements of learners that received constructivist instruction were compared with their counterparts who received traditional instruction. Guiding this study are two main assumptions. The first is the assumption of equality of the variance, and the second is the assumption of normality of the distribution. The results of Levene's test of equality of variances indicated a violation of the assumption of homogeneity of the variances of TI and CI groups while the results of test of skewness and kurtosis give the indication of normality of distribution of scores in both groups. The results of descriptive statistics analysis showed that the learners who received constructivist instruction performed better than the learners that received traditional instruction in terms of formulation of ideas, search for new ideas, review of meaning, and transfer of knowledge. The results of inferential statistics showed that the difference in the means of the two groups on each of the sub variables of conceptual change is significant. This evidence indicates that my model of constructivist teaching produced an effect measuring 0.86 and a power of 0.85 based on Cohen's Blueprint, and a reliability of 0.72 based on Cronbach's test of internal consistency. Besides statistical evidence, analysis of the opinions of science teachers who implemented the Constructivist Teaching Model in their respective classes and the independent persons who observed teaching and learning in both the experimental and control groups showed a preference for the constructivist approach over the traditional approach. On the grounds of the evidence gathered through observation and measurement this study concludes that the constructivist approach to science teaching is more effective than traditional lecture approach in facilitating the ability of secondary school learners in Seychelles to reconstruct ideas. This study also found that science educationists in Seychelles welcome the paradigm shift from the traditional approach to the constructivist approach. / Educational Studies / D. Educ. (Psychology of Education)