Teaching Better
Curricular Strategies of Public Universities that Focus on Teaching English in Early Childhood Education View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ana Sara Galvao, Claudia Kawachi Furlan
This paper discusses English teacher education to work in early childhood education. The offer of English for this age group is an increasing reality in Brazilian contexts and, therefore, the demand for specific teacher education for this field is also expanding. Considering this scenario, a Master's research was conducted with the aim of analyzing curricular proposals of majors in English and Literature in Brazilian Federal and State Universities, focused on initial education of teachers to work with children. After searching on the E-MEC website, 108 institutions were listed as part of the research. The documentary survey resulted in 15 universities with approaches that met the criteria established by the researchers, which also had significant contributions regarding the initiatives implemented in those universities. Moreover, with the goal of also investigating local realities, five institutions were invited to participate in an interview. Through reflections based on curricular theories, transdisciplinarity, teacher education and teaching English to young learners, the research offers a national overview and local aspects around the topic. Furthermore, the results point out to the possibilities of understanding English teacher education to work with children as a new space, closely related to the local context and marked by particularities.
Tell Me What It Takes: A Study on Teaching English to Children
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Thaís Blasio Matins
English teaching for children has been a reality at the Municipal Educational Department of São Paulo since 2012. Nevertheless, this implementation in the early years of elementary schools was marked by the absence of regulatory frameworks and numerous challenges for teachers. Therefore, in view of the new scenarios established for the English teaching practice in São Paulo after the 2012 implementation, this study investigates the practices and the knowledge propelled and/or constructed by me during my teacher career while working with children. In order to do so, I rely on theoretical framework based on teaching knowledge, with emphasis on: language, with contributions from Critical Applied Linguistics and contemporary Sociolinguistics (KUMARAVADIVELU, 2006; CANAGARAJAH, 2018a; 2018b, to name a few); childhood, children and their cultures (SARMENTO; PINTO, 1997; ABRAMOWICZ; MORUZZI, 2010); language learning, with emphasis on language teaching for children (ROCHA, 2006; 2007; MOON, 2001, CAMERON 2001; 2003) and teacher education (BRITZMAN, 1996; GOODWIN, 2010, WHITE et al, 2021, and more). With regard to methodology, I use the autoethnographic approach ( ADAMS; JONES; ELLIS, 2015), aiming at establishing relations between the scientific literature and the process of becoming an English teacher of children. To do so, I use various data generation tools, such as: personal episodes from my teaching and researcher experiences at elementary schools, field observations, students’ productions and informal conversations with working partners. I conclude the teacher education process is best developed in terms of biographies, contexts and relationships established with all elements present in the classroom.
The New Base Nacional Comum Curricular in Brazil: Insights from a Professional Learning Course
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Vania Castro
After years of debate, the new curricular standards known as the Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC), proposed by the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC), were released in December 2018. The BNCC is a normative document that provides a framework for all students from preschool to high school, in both private and public schools, setting academic standards that every student is expected to learn at each grade level. A new Federal Law 13415/17 was introduced, requiring states and municipalities to implement the changes in the new curriculum by 2024. This postdoctoral study utilized an educational design-based research approach to interpret the BNCC and develop a professional development learning module. The aim was to assist Brazilian teachers in comprehending the document and planning English classes in line with the guidelines. The online implementation lasted eight weeks during April and May 2023. This paper highlights key findings from the professional learning experience, involving eight high school teachers. The outcomes of this research include the need for systemic professional learning and a creation of a repository of teaching resources and effective practices related to the BNCC.
