Elementary School Teachers’ Conceptions about Curriculum, Health, and Technology and their Influence on Educational Practices

Abstract

The study has investigated conceptions about Curriculum, Health, and Technology held by eight ninth grade elementary school teachers (n=8) in a public school in Rio de Janeiro. It also aimed to investigate how these conceptions affect and are expressed in their practices. Data were collected through Participant Observation of teachers involvement in the planning, development, and implementation of a set of workshops about Health with their students, and through interviews with these teachers. The teachers who were easily able to integrate the innovations involved in the workshop activities into their disciplines have expressed more critical and open conceptions about Curriculum, Health, and Technology. Those who presented more difficulty in integrating the innovation expressed traditional conceptions about curriculum; hygienists and biologicist conceptions about health, and instrumental views about technology. All these conceptions live together in the School culture and influence teachers’ approaches and practices.