Mapas conceituais na formação continuada de professores: contribuições para a aprendizagem significativa nos anos iniciais

Abstract

This research aimed to analyze the contributions of a training process for teachers, focused on providing tools for the use of Concept Maps as a pedagogical strategy capable of promoting meaningful learning among students. It was based on the contributions of Vygotsky (1991) and Ausubel (2000), considering meaningful learning as a continuous process of knowledge construction. Ausubel's theory of Meaningful Learning guided the study by emphasizing that new knowledge is assimilated more deeply when logically connected to students' prior knowledge. This framework was articulated with the Vygotskian concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which highlights the importance of intentional, planned teaching practices mediated by strategies that favor such connections, reinforcing the role of Active Methodologies in promoting meaningful learning. Using a bibliographic and qualitative approach, this research analyzed the implications of these theories for pedagogical practice in Basic Education, using Concept Maps as a tool to graphically represent hierarchical relationships between concepts, favoring the understanding and retention of knowledge. As a result, a didactic guide for the use of Concept Maps in didactic sequences was developed, based on training workshops with 5th-grade teachers from the Municipal Network of Cornélio Procópio. The data obtained pointed to greater student engagement and enthusiasm in the construction of concept maps, as well as an evolution in the organization and understanding of content, including the use of maps as an assessment tool. It is concluded that revisiting learning theories and implementing them through strategies such as concept maps strengthens more intentional, grounded, and effective pedagogical practices.