The Psychology discipline in high school: revisiting the practices of the teachers of the public network of the State of São Paulo

Abstract

This article aims to present and discuss the data obtained from teachers of Psychology about their practices in public high school of the State of São Paulo. 20 teachers of Psychology participated in the research, insolvent and effective, from public schools that belong to Teaching Directories of the Capital, of the metropolitan region and in the countryside of the State of São Paulo. The data collected through a self-administered questionnaire showed that one of the main objectives of the teaching of Psychology was the critical formation of the students. In relation to the programmatic content, some psychological theories were mentioned, but many teachers cited mainly the work with subjects of the students’ daily life. As for the methodology, there were lecture sessions combined with various activities such as reading texts, seminars, debates using various resources such as music, films, etc. which aimed at the accomplishment of participatory classes and significant learning of the students. The evaluation combined several instruments and procedures, either individually or in groups. Due to the emphasis given by teachers to the work with themes, it was sought to resume, albeit briefly, some pedagogical proposals that historically presented themselves as alternatives to traditional formation. Finally, it is considered that the discussions about the teaching of Psychology at high school level refer to more general reflections on the curriculum and the formation of the young people of the public schools, revealing the contradictions and the disputes that are fought historically in education.