Methodological trends in Physics textbooks

Tendências metodológicas nos livros didáticos de Física

Resumo

Teaching and learning relationships are built on conceptions and understandings about education expressed by the subjects involved, even if this process is unknown to them. As one of the artifacts widely used by teachers in their teaching activities, the textbook, by containing characteristics of the thinking of their authors and the context of the period of publication, reflects these conceptions. Taking as a reference the studies of Libâneo (2005) regarding pedagogical trends, and those of Krasilchik (1987), on the characteristics of education present in certain historical periods, an investigation was carried out in order to identify and analyse the conceptions of education manifested in Physics textbooks. To make it possible to analyze the textbook regarding these aspects, an instrument was developed that can help the teacher in choosing the textbook that best suits his/her conceptions of education and teaching. The process of creating and using this instrument, as well as the results obtained, will be presented.