Pensamento computacional e formação de professores: uma análise a partir da plataforma Code.org

Abstract

The computational thinking has been discussed in the literature as a new competence for the citizen of the 21st century. In this way, the inclusion of Computer Science and programming languages in schools has been happening in several countries. The theme pervades education and consequently, teacher training. Although several discussions have emerged about the subject in the academy, there are still few studies dedicated to discuss issues related to the teachers training in the national scenario. This dissertation aims to analyze the concepts of teaching and learning present on an online platform, with intent to create indicators for teaching, that may guide pedagogical training processes. In order to support this study theoretically, the theoretical bases of constructivism and constructionism were used, having Jean Piaget, Seymour Papert and their followers as exponents. This research is characterized as an exploratory case study and has the Code.org plataform as source of analysis. As a case study, postings of two forum topics, lesson plans and online activities were listed as sources of evidence. The methodology used for the analysis of the sources of evidence was Discursive Textual Analysis, from which three broad categories emerged: Conceptions of Learning, Difficulting Aspects of Learning and Promoting Aspects of Learning. The obtained results from the emerging categories show that the Conceptions of Learning present in the platform, are primarily empiricists, bringing a purpose in which the available materials for the teacher suggest a teaching and learning model based on a directive pedagogy. The findings still point out to strategies for teaching learning based on online activities, offline activities, interaction between peers, and eventually, show difficulting aspects for teaching and learning of computational thinking, which are: time, structure and difficulties with IT.