Students engagement in learning physics: an analysis from the perspective of the theory of relation to knowledge

• Grant number: 14/13082-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: November 03, 2014
• End date: May 02, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Education - Specific topics in Education
• Principal Investigator: Alice Helena Campos Pierson
• Grantee: Lucas da Silva Maia
• Supervisor: Patrice Venturini
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Université Toulouse II-Le Mirail, France
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/11754-3 - Students meaning making on school physics: an analysis from "relation to knowledge", BP.DR

Abstract

This proposal for an abroad research internship is quite related to the ongoing PhD research performed at Federal University of São Carlos. The purpose of PhD research is to identify the elements that favors (or not) student engagement in physics learning based on the relation to knowledge theoretical framework proposed by the French philosopher Bernard Charlot. In general, researches in Science Education have addressed this issue by performing studies on motivation, attitude toward science and interest in science. However, different reviews of literature highlighted the limitations of those investigations. Recently, French researchers have employed the relation to knowledge theoretical framework to deal with this issue, including Professor Patrice Venturini. With this in mind, the main purpose for carry out the proposed internship is to assimilate the analytical procedure based on Charlot's theory developed by Professor Patrice Venturini who analyzed the general characteristics of the relation to physics knowledge of French students. In fact, we realize this analytical procedure will help us to increase the intelligible of the data we have already collected and partially examined in Brazil. Moreover, delineating the Brazilian students relation to physics knowledge features will helps to identify the elements that favors (or not) students engagement in physics learning. (AU)