O trabalho colaborativo e o desenvolvimento profissional do professor

Abstract

This paper reports a study aiming to identify factors that influence mathematics teachers’ professional development, in the context of collaborative projects closely connected to teaching practice. From 1993 to 1997, two secondary school mathematics teachers and a researcher worked collaboratively in bringing into practice the new mathematics curriculum. The meetings of the team were audio-recorded and transcribed and the classes of the two teachers observed were recorded in video and transcribed. In parallel with the teaching practice and reflection about it, the team elaborated position papers about the curriculum orientations, prepared and presented communications in teachers' meetings and wrote papers to mathematical education journals.

The results reinforce the perspective that teachers’ professional development is a process that takes place along large periods of time and that the observation of classes of other teachers constitutes powerful starting point for reflection on professional practice. This study highlights three factors that may promote professional development: (i) framework favourable to experimentation and professional development; (ii) team work developed in a reflexive way, according to the rhythm, needs and interests of teachers, in the natural context of the school; and (iii) desire to innovate and of do better