Using progressive concept maps as a strategy for teaching and learning in teacher education in Biology

This paper presents a study carried out with Biology teachers under training, and aimed at investigating how concept maps enabled meaningful learning. The work was motivated by the fact that future teachers presented difficulties learning various concepts. In this light, maps can be a valuable instrument for the diagnosis and assessment of learning, enabling better concept learning. Thus, during our pedagogical intervention, we have strived to identify the conceptual evolution of students, through the construction of concept maps before, during and after the study of a proposed theme. The qualitative analysis of the produced maps focused on the processes of teaching, learning and assessment. At this point, the goal was to investigate whether or not students were able to relate the concepts under study, according to the principles of progressive differentiation and integrative reconcilitation. This was done while searching for evidences of meaningful learning.The pedagogical intervention lasted for 45 hours (8 meetings), during which a Zoology topic, concept Elephants was studied at a State university of Brazil. The qualitative analysis of the maps created by the learners has shown, in 58% of the cases, that there was an evolution of the learners knowledge of the theme. Obtained results suggest that maps have an efficient functional action and help improve the professional profile under formation.