The physics teacher in the classroom: an instrument to characterize classroom practices

Abstract

With the purpose of analyzing and interpreting physics teachers’ performance in the classroom, we elaborated an analysis instrument with five dimensions which aim to describe – i) the strategies chosen to conduct learning, ii) the abilities mobilized, iii) the attitudes in the interaction with students, iv) the evaluation the teacher makes of his work and v) the meta-evaluation of his practice. The instrument was constructed from constructivist ideas of teaching and learning and empirical data from teachers’ statements about their classes. Through a to and from process we sought coherence of the adopted theory with the nature of data about teachers’ performance. The broader purpose is to provide ground for teachers’ educators about difficulties teachers may find when trying to modify their practices during a professional development program.