Emoção e cognição no ensino e aprendizagem: análise de uma prática pedagógica à luz de aspectos de teóricos da teoria histórico-cultural da atividade

Abstract

The given research is part of Line 1, Curriculum Development and Teacher Training, of the Graduate Program in Science Education at the Regional University of the Northwest of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (UNIJUÍ). The socio-emotional aspects of human development have relatively little research that investigates their role in the teaching and learning processes. This thesis aimed to investigate the relationship between emotion and cognition, in the teaching and learning processes, from the analysis of a pedagogical practice in the teaching of Physics, with the perspective of the concepts of the Historical-Cultural Activity Theory. We sought to answer the question: What is the relationship between emotions and the sense of action of the subjects active in the classroom? The hypothesis is that emotions, in their relationship with cognitive processes, can alienate the subject in relation to the real sense of his action and change the level of “action” to “operation”, that is, from conscious to unconscious, resulting in damage to learning. In this case, the most important socioemotional skill to be developed would be the ability to manage your own emotions, in relation to cognitive processes. The theoretical basis of the study was the historical-cultural theory of the activity, mainly through Leontiev's theoretical formulations and, still, with important contributions by Vigotski, Davidov and Engeström. The research of qualitative nature had as procedures of construction of data observation, audio and video recording of a Physics class, with records in the field diary of the researcher professor, and, still, interview in a focus group. The class was triggered with comic strips as a teaching tool. It stood out as an efficient pedagogical resource to create the need, in the perspective of developmental teaching, in which students enter into activity if they have (social/individual) reasons to learn. The transcription data were analyzed with emphasis on the concept of alienation, in the teaching and study activities developed. The reflections also moved through the issue of teacher alienation in dialogue with historical contradictions and the influence of emotions in these processes. Regarding the research question, it was noticed that when the student's sense of action does not match the reason for the activity, we identified evidence of alienation. Emotions can drive this alienation process by creating distinct needs that are not related to the reason for the activity. It was also highlighted that the most significant socioemotional skill to be developed would be the ability to manage their own emotions, which would allow the student to overcome the processes of alienation and create needs connected to the reason for the activity he participates in. The perspective of learning by expansion allowed the understanding that tensions play a fundamental role in the relationship between emotions and cognitive learning processes. Thus, tensions, in their dialogue with emotions, are fundamental to put the subject in activity, either in the perspective of the transformations of the initial activity, creating a new object, or developing the initial activity system. It is concluded that tensions, when well managed by the teacher, can create a need in students and connect it to the reason for the activity. An emotional aspect can help to assign meaning to the student's action, which becomes more effective as tensions, accompanied by their overcoming, place them as co-creators of the activity they participate in. Thus, we conclude that it is also up to the school to provide students with the development of self-awareness and self-awareness so that they can diagnose, analyze and consciously direct their emotions in relation to the reason for the activities they integrate, addressing the overcoming of alienation as a condition development itself.