A utilização de softwares educativos pelos professores do campus Fronteira Oeste do Instituto Federal de Mato Grosso: possibilidades para a sala de aula

Abstract

The presence of new information and communication technologies in the school environment, especially the computer and educational software, is a reality that cannot be ignored. But what role have these technologies played? What differences have they made in the teachinglearning process? This research study was developed to encourage discussion and reflection on matters of this nature and was carried out at the Fronteira Oeste Campus of the Federal Institute of Mato Grosso. The study focused on the perceptions that teachers at this institution have of the use of educational software in the classroom. The study employed a qualitative approach to analyze data collected in a field study involving teachers and made use of a theoretical framework to facilitate an examination of issues that included the educational paradigms, the application of technologies in education, the history of educational information technologies in Brazil, the classification of different educational software, the characteristics of professional education within the institution studied and the qualification of teachers. The main discussion of this study centers around the notion that educational software and other educational technology should not be perceived as the solution to today’s educational challenges, but rather as intellectual partners of students and teachers. In other words, they should be seen as instruments that, when combined with pedagogical proposals, become important allies in the complex task of teaching-learning.