Pedagogical training of faculty and graduate students at Physiology Graduate Programs in Brazil

Abstract

Although scientific production is a priority goal in public policies for Graduate Programs, the professional activity of graduate students will involve teaching activities. This study aimed to investigate how pedagogical training of teachers and graduate students occurs and to identify the opinion of the academic community of Physiology Graduate Programs about the quality and importance of pedagogical training. It was analyzed responses from 273 graduate students, 89 teachers and 11 coordinators to an electronic questionnaire. Faculty consider their initial training to be good, 67% participated only once or did not participate in continuing education activities and 95% of faculty consider their teaching performance satisfactory. The most mentioned pedagogical training activities of the graduate students were supervised internships and supporting teachers in courses and practical classes. The positive evaluation of the students about their pedagogical training falls from 78% at the beginning of the masters to 60% at the end of the doctorate. It is concluded that teaching activity and pedagogical training of the graduate students seems to be considered important, but there is little appreciation of the faculty continuous pedagogical training. It is imperative that the academic community reflect on the priorities and objectives of the graduate training