Cognições de professores de inglês sobre ensino-aprendizagem: um estudo Q

Abstract

The main goal of this research is to investigate and analyse the cognitions of teachers of language institutes about the English teaching-learning process and the relationship between teachers cognitions and their actions in class. Q methodology (Q-sorting), in combination with open questionnaire, classes observation and interviews, were used to bring out hidden structures in communicative situations and present convergences, as well as variations, in ways of thinking and constructing reality. The open questionnaire was applied as a secondary instrument to collect data for the investigation of the concourse of ideas and further development of the Q sample, which is the primary tool in Q methodology research approach. This Q sample of 56 items was used by in-service English teachers of language institutes in the Q-sorting process. These participants were asked to Q-sort the statements of the Q sample along a scale ranging from more agreement and/or relevance (+5) to less agreement and/or relevance (-5) and the results were submitted to factor analysis by the PQmethod software. Three factors/groups of participants emerged of the factor analysis, each of these represents a peculiar point of view of a group of respondents concerning the issue being investigated. From the data crossing obtained through the above mentioned instruments and through the qualitative and interpretative analysis, the three groups that emerged from the factor analysis were defined, characterized and interpreted by the researcher. The results refer to cognitions related to the role of the teacher (The Critic-Reflexive group 1), to the interaction between teacher-students and student-students and to motivation of these (The Interactive group 2) and to the teaching of grammar and pedagogical resources (The Based Traditionalists group 3). They could be useful to the area of Applied Linguistics (AL), contributing to teachers education, to the evaluation of teachers` practice and the quality of education offered by the institution and also as directions for future research in the AL field.