Um estudo sobre a aprendizagem de números irracionais no ensino médio

The present study describes theoretical practical relationships between development and application of activities in Mathematics education. It s proposed a methodological approach to Mathematics in the first grade of Ensino Médio, supported by an experiment involving Irrational Numbers education by using constructive activities, applied obeying an educational sequence. Constructivism is used as an important theoretical reference in teaching learning process of Mathematics. The methodological intervention was done with two classes of students of the first grade of Ensino Médio, in two public schools, a state one and a federal one, located on the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. The development, application and testing of the activities used on this experiment led us to think more profoundly about the value of constructivism ideas and understand that the use of activities that obey an educational sequence favors the learning. It s also discussed the research results, commented on a way to contribute to the advances of the proposal and it s more constant use. The participation and testing of the students were analyzed and judged using Skemp s Instrumental Understanding and Relational Understanding concepts. The results of the research were considered good, so we believe this methodological intervention can be used more frequently in the classes of Ensino Médio and also be applied to teachers in courses of initial education and continuous formation

A função mediadora do planejamento na aula de leitura de textos literários

This dissertation sutdies the mediative function in the planning of literary text reading classes of Portuguese. Its main central focus proposes that planning favors the pedagogical reading work of literary texts in the teaching of Portuguese, for they are regarded as one of the mediative elements the teaching-learning process. It also allows for its subjects to rethink the practice, theorizing it. As a theoretical basis the studies on participative planning are used, especially the studies concerning dialogic planning. The language/literature teaching perspective adopted in this work is guided by the socio-interactive conception of language, in a way that reading is seen as a comprehensive and interactive activity. Given the research process, the analysis of the reading process involved the Reader s Response, once that this theory considers the role of the reader and her/his interaction with the text. The study is grounded upon the following research question: which role(s) does the pedagogical planning play as a mediator of the reading teaching-learning process? The main objective of this dissertation is to investigate the pedagogical planning activity as a mediative instrument in the practice of reading in the Portuguese classes. The study is constituted of three stages, the third being emphasized (2002/2005) in which the direction of the participative action-research was used, as a way of acknowledging the pedagogical role in the teaching plan, as an instrument capable of rendering reorganization in the teaching-learning process of reading classes. We have as participants teachers of Portuguese in the elementary school (Ensino Fundamental, 3º ciclo), besides other segments of public schools, in the city of Pau dos Ferros RN, in which the previous studies were developed. The results point to the relevance in the role of the teacher, as a more experienced reader, in developing of pedagogical strategies that may come to favor the teaching of reading, having in the pedagogical sphere an instrument of theoretical reflection and sistematization of activities to be implemented in the classroom. The conclusions highlight the class plan as the mediative instrument to be incorporated and internalized into the teaching practice, amplifying and modifying the teacher s intervention forms, favoring, thus, her/his pedagogical mediation

Necessidades de formação de professoras principiantes da educação infantil/pré-escola

This work arose from our concerns with the issues of teacher training for early childhood education. From the difficulties encountered as a novice teacher in elementary, we deem important to research training needs of these professionals. Thus, we define the objective of this research to investigate the training needs of novice teachers teaching Early Childhood Education/Elementary school. Our work fits in Educational Research Qualitative Approach, and its construction procedures of the semistructured interview data and document analysis. Our empirical field was made up of schools in the metropolitan region of Natal / RN, offering kindergarten / elementary school. The subjects are five teachers who act as holder of the elementary school class and have 0-3 years of teaching practice, characterizing the second Huberman (2007) as novice teachers. Data analysis, based on principles of content analysis, three themes emerged: Beginner Teaching Professor in Early Childhood Education / Preschool; Reasons explaining the difficulties Faculty / Formative Needs Teaching and Training in Early Childhood Education / Elementary school, from the Training Needs Analysis, with their respective categories, subcategories, contributing to our understanding of the subject matter. The entry into the profession is marked by mixed feelings of euphoria and fear, where there seems to be a "clash" with reality. The difficulties are related to the planning / execution of activities, meet the individual needs of learning and assessment of children. As a strategy to overcome the difficulties the teachers exercise the action-reflection-action in their practices and seek continuous updates in the theoretical and methodological framework of early childhood education. The reasons that define these difficulties may be related to the teacher, school, family, and students of these institutions. In experiencing these difficulties has outlined the need for teacher training, among which stand out studies on ethics in teaching with children, the concept of children and their childhoods, peculiarities of teaching / learning in preschool, toys and legal determinations on early childhood education, multi-language and expressions in early childhood education, specific content areas of knowledge, among others. Furthermore, studies on the theoretical as Piaget, Vigotsky, Maria Carmen Barbosa and Emily Smith. For these professionals to be a professional early childhood education is: like children, be patient and careful, have specific theoretical and practical training for teachers in kindergarten, being able to improvise with seriousness and competence and get updates on continuing education. The surveys, together with the authors and teachers, to confirm our understanding that the training needs of beginners may be related to shortcomings in the initial and continuing education

Ensinar/aprender a gostar de história: saberes docentes e construção do conhecimento histórico escolar com professores de Arez-RN

This dissertation aims to analyze the relevant knowledge in countryside History teachers practice in high school and understand how these teachers themselves construct school knowledge in History, from the mobilization of different knowledge that make up teaching practice. Tree teachers from State Jacumauma High School and the researcher himself worked together in order to carry out this survey. The main theoretical-methodological elements of this research are based on assumptions of a qualitative research in cooperation. This approach was used to make possible to construct knowledge between teachers and researcher considering a less oppressive relationship as well as to help a continuous school upbringing of the individuals what can make them to understand the professional practice as an aspect in which one can exercise autonomy and criticism. The empirical research procedures were oral individual interviews, reflexive sessions and cooperative observations. Individuals speeches have presented, in some moments, teachers concerns about the educational fragmented system in which there are few opportunities to dialogic interactions among educationalists making still more difficult the dialog between school and reality surrounds it. Their assertions pointed out that relevant knowledge can be identified during the daily educational work and that they find proper reasons from the aim that each knowledge exerts in relation to the construction of professional practice. Classroom connections points out to more intense interactions between teachers and students, by recognizing affection as an important tool in order to make the interactions not so authoritarian at all. Regarding the countryside teachers understanding, the school knowledge in History is produced by sharing concerns and senses assigned by the individuals who are involved in the teaching-learning process. The referential science knowledge pervade History teaching, however they take another meaning according to specific features of the school environment. The intense and complex dynamic of the educational context makes that historical knowledge acquires specific characteristics that are constantly changing. As they change, there are some marks of elaborations and re-elaborations not only the new but also the traditional

Gêneros do discurso e escrita: o que as coleções didáticas de português (des)prestigiam no ensino da produção textual?

Through the examination of official indicators, it can be observed that writing is pointed out as one of the main problems concerning formal basic education. However, this teaching-learning object is one of the central objectives at school, having an essential role in different curricular components as well as in the interaction demands required by society. Such paradox indicates, therefore, the relevance of investigations which analyze the intrinsic elements of child development as written text producer. Hence, the main purpose of this research consists of analyzing the treatment given to the types of discourse and the teaching situations in which the written text are produced, concerning Portuguese language didactic material collections approved by Programa Nacional do Livro Didático (PNLD 2010) the Brazilian program of didactic book and worked at elementary school. Such materials correspond to the collections adopted in municipal education system schools from Natal, RN which were below the official education indicator IDEB 2009. Thus, the questions that guide this work are: 1. During writing production lessons, is the diversity of types of discourse effectively worked on didactic collections? 2. Which are the types of discourse and the social spheres prioritized when teaching writing production? 3. How is the situation addressed in the production of the written text should be produced? For this research, we retook the authors Bakhtin, Bunzen, Faraco, Freire, Rodrigues, Rojo, Schneuwly e Dolz and we made a list of all types of discourse and spheres contemplated in the propositions of the writing production in didactical books, concerning the eight collections which compounds the first moment of analysis. Then, we verified how the situation of production is oriented by examining two didactic collections if and how they express the elements referring to the social-historical, functional and linguistic-discursive context of the text to be produced. The data obtained indicate: lack of diversification of types of discourse in the collection that compounds the Aggregate Sample of the research; the conception of a diversity based on the didactic of visiting; the recognition of all canonical and hegemonic types of text as one of the privileged objects of study; the centralization on the standard variety of the language and the devaluation of the representative types of cultural diversity; the shortage of productions which retrace to written language related to different technologies of communication and information; and the little emphasis on the types of discourse related to public language practices. As for the situations of production, it is observed the predominance of the school as a producer of dialogic relationships, whose propositions present, for example, text addressees, enunciative positions, support and contexts of restricted circulation, especially at school. Two divergent situations are observed among the collections: the lack of a work in which the situation of production is under the perspective of the types of discourse as object of teaching-learning; the concept of the types of discourse as object of reflection, presenting a differentiated didactic orientation towards the situation of production. This research contributes, therefore, with a mapping of the existence and the treatment of the types of discourse on propositions of writing production in didactic books; with the critical analysis of the approach of written activities, considering the elements of the historical-social, functional and linguistic-discursive context; thus, through teaching, research and public policies, use and selection of didactic material for the area

A dimensão social do desenho: um estudo sobre as interações no processo de (re) construção imagética da criança no Ensino Fundamental

In the historical-cultural perspective, the drawing is processed by means of a shared and complex way, under diverse relations with the other and with the immersed signs of the culture. That is, something constituted by the social interactions and that can modify the structure of the psychological functions, therefore as socialized sign, propitiates the incorporation of the functions socially. In this way, the figuration carrier sensitive and established meanings historically disclosing the shared experiences and the ways of the subject to think and perceive the world. Such reflections gave shape to the main problem of this research: how to think over about the drawing at the school to incide in the reconstruction of the childs imaginative language? Under such perspective, this work deals with the interactions in the production process of the drawing of the children in a context of teach-Iearning of the elementary school having as goal to analyze the interactions established in the cIassroom in the process of production of the drawings; to propose situations of learnings that favor the advance graphical expression of the students; and to identify in the interactive games some relations between body expression and drawing. For its accomplishment, it was opted for the construction process based in the collaborative investigation by the fact to propitiate negotiations, sharing and confrontation of ideas, becoming possible a joint construction of the knowledge. For this research, the researcher and the collaborating teacher, as well as the involved children, become themselves into co-authors of the context studied. As locus of the research, it was chosen a first cycle class, with 30 students, from Municipal School Profª. Emília Ramos (Natal/RN - Brazil), whose election took in account the fact of this school to constitute in a promotional space of reflections and professional development of teachers in service and, at the same time, for presentinglimitations theoretic- methodological in the field of teaching for Arts. In the process of the research, it was perceived that the children with the support of the verbal language formulates meanings on the seen and imagined object, printing lines and forms that if overlap to the physiological aspects of the visual perception. That is, the drawing discloses a reality appraised, enriched for the picked up vision of the image, but the meanings established for the author, or observer who becomes it perceivable and identified. In the systemizing situations, it was observed that the teaching-Iearning process of the drawing, implies a co-construction between teachers and learners. And, moreover, the necessity to interlace emotion and cognition by means of plastic-corporal interactions that foment drawing experiences, whose process concurs for the imagenative reconstruct of the apprentices

Corações e mentes desvendam o Sistema Único de Saúde : visões e vivências de estudantes de enfermagem

One of the Ministry of Health s attempts at contributing to making collective health more appealing to health students is the Experience and In-Service Training within the Reality of the Unified Health Service Project (VER-SUS). Hence, the object of this investigation is to survey learners views on the teaching of nursing based in the experiences they have lived through in the VER-SUS. Its purpose is to analyze the views and lived-through experiences of nursing students on how the VER-SUS contributed to their professional education. This is a study of the descriptiveexploratory type with a qualitative approach. Eighteen undergraduate students from the nursing program at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), former VER-SUS participants, took part in this study, from 2006 to 2009. Information was collected using focus group techniques guided by a set of questions and semistructured interview with open and closed questions. The information collected was analyzed using content analysis technique, of the thematic analysis type. The UFRN Research Ethics Committee approved of the survey pursuant to Report Opinion number 223/2010 and CAAE number 0105.0.051.000-10. Lived-through experiences and in-service training gathered from the VER-SUS have contributed meaningfully to health education, as they helped understand the role of the university and of a health and nursing education within the hegemonic model of education. According to the views and lived-through experiences of nursing students who took part in the SUS project it was extremely relevant to use active methodologies in the teaching-learning process and have the facilitators act as liaisons for the SUS. It follows from this study that the VER-SUS does contribute to a health-nursing education and brings the students close to the reality of the community

Identificação de crianças e adolescentes com suspeita de câncer: uma proposta de intervenção

Unlike adult cancer, where cells usually originate from epithelial tissue and is linked to environmental factors, malignant tumors in childhood are mostly of embryonic origin and have a phase of rapid proliferation. When not started chemotherapy at this stage, the tumor increases in size, reducing their growth rate, thus reducing the response to chemotherapy. Childhood cancer is in Brazil, the second cause of mortality among children and adolescents from one to nineteen. His impact on the ranking of diseases becomes significantly important to public health since the first issue is related to accidents and violence. Many children are still sent to the centers of high complexity for cancer treatment with advanced stage disease. The delay in referral to diagnosis can be family, or the difficulty of access to the health sector, or the characteristics of the disease and lack of health staff regarding theme of childhood cancer. Before this problem, we aimed to assess the performance of health teams in the identification of child and adolescent symptoms of cancer in primary care, through the action research methodology, which includes the teaching-learning, seminars, describing the actions of the group and discussing the activities after the training. This study involved thirty-seven health professionals who provide care for children and adolescents in the USF Felipe Shrimp II, the Support Center for Children with Cancer and the pediatric hospital UFRN during the period from March to December 2010. The data were analyzed simultaneously to evaluate actions, following the direction of the analysis of ideas Freires, having as theoretical reference the primary health care. The diagnosis of current reality, as knowledge of the health team targeted for early identification of signs and symptoms raised through questioning, presented as generative themes: resistance to change, awareness of the need for apprehension of knowledge; prior knowledge through the media, fragmentation of the healthcare network, interfering with the operation of the reference and counter, the stigma of death, among others. The selected themes enabled the choice of content for the preparation of four seminars, such as implementation of collective action for discussion problematical. The teaching-learning process has allowed the study participants awareness of the problem and work through the knowledge acquired by interfering in decreasing the time interval between the identification of signs and symptoms of cancer and early specialist treatment. Their difficulties we are faced with a diagnosis of terminal cancer and associated with delayed access to laboratory tests and imaging necessary for the diagnosis of neoplasms. Thus, we find that when the team is consciously involved in the education process from identification of the problem situation, there may be significant changes in daily activities through awareness of being. However, we also realize that acquisition of knowledge and interest of the team are not enough, since to be efficiency of our service, we need an organization of cancer care network operating in the state of Rio Grande do Norte

A formação de conceitos no ensino de graduação em enfermagem à luz da teoria da aprendizagem significativa

The Theory of Meaningful Learning (TML) described by David Paul Ausubel offers a proposal for the teaching strategies to provide a more active and effective student learning. The projection of the TML practice is demonstrated through the development of concept maps (CM) technique, created by Joseph Donald Novak, which presents as a strategy, method or schematic feature, which is an indicator to identify the cognitive organization of the knowledge acquired by students. The survey was conducted in the light of TML in relation to learning concepts involving students of undergraduate nursing in a public university in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Thus, the study aimed to compare the concept learning of students of undergraduate nursing, when subjected to different forms of education, to point approaches that promote more effective and meaningful results. It was a quasi - experimental study with a qualitative analysis, conducted with students of the Undergraduate Nursing of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), approved by the Research Ethics Committee/UFRN Certification of Presention for Ethics Appreciation (CPEA) in 11706412.3.0000.5537. The study took place at two different times and involved content on complications mediate postoperative surgical wound in the same discipline with students who attended the 5th semester of the degree course in Nursing. For the viability of data collection, in the second half of 2013, we used the technique of CM, to represent the concept of complications mediate postoperative surgical wound covered in the classroom. CM were built at a different time from that of the discipline, with the support of tutors and preceded by a brief description and explanation about the form of preparation and application. In this study were subjected, 31 students of undergraduate nursing, registered in the discipline of Integral Attention to health I. In the first stage, 18 students participated in the survey, they had the teaching intervention based on TML, and in the second stage, all students participated in the lesson provided curriculum with the responsible teacher of the subject, on the same issue occurred. At the end of each meeting, the students 11 developed concept maps with the aid of software Cmap Tools®. Data analysis happened upon the technique of content analysis, supported by a conceptual map "glass", previously developed by researchers and aid in the preparation of the categories in which the concepts found were classified. The study found that the teaching intervention based on TML with the help of CM, managed to develop in students a more expressive teaching learning process than just classroom curriculum with the traditional teaching method, and also that the association between the intervention motion teaching with the traditional method and the use of the technique of CM encourages the student the ability to articulate the various acquired knowledge as well as apply them in real situations

A gestão da qualidade nos cursos de graduação a distância da UFRN/SEDIS : a percepção dos discentes

This dissertation has as objective at analyzing the students' perception about the quality of graduate courses distance of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, which was motivated by the following research problem: the perception that graduate students of the distance of the UFRN have on the quality of the undergraduate? To this end, we sought to gather evidence for a satisfactory approach that addresses the complexity of the subject studied: quality management, distance learning and quality in the Higher Education Institutions. We chose to adopt as a research method, case study on the procedure of the research, exploratory research-descriptive about the objective and quantitative research when tackling the problem. The object of the study were six graduate courses distance UFRN/SEDIS, having as target the students of the courses. The sample was calculated using the Stratified sampling on which 217 students, the courses surveyed were selected. The survey instrument consisted of 21 structured questions, of which seven questions designed to identify the profile of students, seven issues of perceptions (manifest variables) on quality management in distance learning, where students have given values (responses) for 24 statements (which address the central theme of this dissertation) composite based on a 5-point Likert s scale, and six questions about general characteristics that may interfere with students' perception about the quality. Was used as statistical method (data analysis), descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. The results show the identification of four latent factors (obtained by exploratory factor analysis), namely: (1) infrastructure and management - polo presence, (2) teaching-learning processes, (3) communication tools and integration; (4) tutors. We also observed that aspects related to infrastructure and management at the pole face had the lowest score among the factors observed, requiring special attention by the education institution. On the other hand, teachers and teaching learning processes were the items with better performance in the perception of students. It is concluded that the perception of students in relation to quality in distance education courses, the median is trending positive perception, ie the perception of overall quality of the courses is not assertive and unison, but tends to positive perception. Thus, the results, it is expected that the managers of the institution to focus attention on critical points in order to minimize them (or eliminate them) and maximize the positive aspects that are perceived by the students

RoboEduc: uma metodologia de aprendizado com robótica educacional

In this work, we propose a methodology for teaching robotics in elementary schools, based on the socio-historical Vygotsky theory. This methodology in conjunction with the Lego Mindstoms kit (R) and an educational software (an interface for control and programming of prototypes) are part of an educational robotics system named RoboEduc. For the practical development of this work, we have used the action-research strategy, being realized robotics activities with participation of children with age between 8 and 10 years, students of the elementary school level of Municipal School Ascendino de Almeida. This school is located at the city zone of Pitimbu, at the periphery of Natal, in Rio Grande do Norte state. The activities have focused on understanding the construction of robotic prototypes, their programming and control. At constructing prototypes, children develop zone of proximal development (ZPDs) that are learning spaces that, when well used, allow the construction not only of scientific concepts by the individuals but also of abilities and capabilities that are important for the social and cultural interactiond of each one and of the group. With the development of these practical workshops, it was possible to analyse the use of the Robot as the mediator element of the teaching-learning process and the contributions that the use of robotics may bring to teaching since elementary levels

Uma análise dos questionamentos dos alunos nas aulas de números complexos

This work presents a contribution for the studies reffering to the use of the History of Mathematics focusing on the improvement of the Teaching and Learning Process. It considers that the History of Matematics, as a way of giving meaning to the discipline and improve the quality of the Teaching and Learning Process. This research focuses on the questions of the students, classified in three categories of whys: the chronological, the logical and the pedagogical ones. Therefore, it is investigated the teaching of the Complex Numbers, from the questions of the students of the Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica do Rio Grande do Norte (Educational Institution of Professional and Technology Education from Rio Grande do Norte). The work has the following goals: To classify and to analyse the questions of the students about the Complex Numbers in the classes of second grade of the High School, and to collate with the pointed categories used by Jones; To disccus what are the possible guidings that teachers of Mathematics can give to these questions; To present the resources needed to give support to the teacher in all things involving the History of Mathematics. Finally, to present a bibliographic research, trying to reveal supporting material to the teacher, with contents that articulate the Teaching of Mathematics with the History of Mathematics. It was found that the questionings of the pupils reffers more to the pedagogical whys, and the didatic books little contemplate other aspects of the history and little say about the sprouting and the evolution of methods of calculations used by us as well

Atividades experimentais no ensino de biologia em escolas públicas do estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil: caracterização geral e concepção de professores

Recent research has revealed that the majority of Biology teachers believe the practice of experimental activities as a didactical means would be the solution for the improvement of the Biology teaching-learning process. There are, however, studies which signal the lack of efficiency in such practice lessons as far as building scientific knowledge is concerned. It is also said that despite the enthusiasm on the teachers‟ part, such classes are rarely taught in high school. Several studies point pedagogical difficulties as well as nonexistence of a minimal infrastructure needed in laboratories as cause of low frequency in experimental activities. The poor teacher performance in terms of planning and development of classes; the large number of students per class; lack of financial stimulus for teachers are other reasons to be taken into account among others, in which can also be included difficulties of epistemological nature. That means an unfavorable eye of the teacher towards experimental activities. Our study aimed to clarify if such scenario is generalized in high schools throughout the state of Rio Grande do Norte Brazil. During our investigation a sample of twenty teaching institutions were used. They were divided in two groups: in the first group, five IFRN- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte schools. Two of those in Natal, and the other three from the country side. The second group is represented by fifteen state schools belonging to the Natal metropolitan area. The objectives of the research were to label schools concerning laboratory facilities; to identify difficulties pointed by teachers when performing experiment classes, and to become familiar with the conceptions of the teachers in regarding biology experiment classes. To perform such task, a questionnaire was used as instrument of data collecting. It contained multiple choice, essay questions and a semi-structured interview with the assistance of a voice recorder. The data analysis and the in loco observation allowed the conclusion that the federal schools do present better facilities for the practice of experimental activities when compared to state schools. Another aspect pointed is the fact that teachers of federal schools have more time available for planning the experiments; they are also better paid and are given access a career development, which leads to better salaries. All those advantages however, do not show a significantly higher frequency regarding the development of experiments when compared to state school teachers. Both teachers of federal and state schools pointed infra-structure problems such as the availability of reactants, equipments and consumption supplies as main obstacle to the practice of experiments in biology classes. Such fact leads us to conclude that maybe there are other problems not covered by the questionnaire such as poor ability to plan and execute experimental activities. As far as conceptions about experimental activities, it was verified in the majority of the interviewees a inductive-empiric point of view of science possibly inherited during their academic formation and such point of view reflected on the way they plan and execute experiments with students

Citologia: uma proposta formativa na EaD - UFRN a partir de concepções alternativas

Learning difficulties can have a direct influence on the teaching-learning process of students by reducing their school performance. One factor that may contribute to this negative influence on learning refers to the presence of alternative conceptions, which may have different origins in the educational process. It is of paramount importance, for teachers, for example, to identify the concepts and the difficulties of their students in order for that knowledge can be able to contribute significantly to improve the teaching and learning process. From the following considerations, the present study (still in progress) aims to investigate aspects related to the concepts and difficulties of graduating students in relation to the contents of Biology. The participants of the research were undergraduate students in Biological Sciences from UFRN, studying by Distance Learning (Educação a Distância). To develop the survey, questionnaires were developed to identify the contents in Biology that these students have more difficulties as well as an interview to raise misconceptions regarding the content of cytology. Another tool developed was a textbook evaluation form, which was applied in conjunction with a questionnaire in workshops (short courses) in order to identify possible errors and mistakes that could jeopardize the process of teaching and learning, such as the importance that these learners assign to textbooks in the educational process. From the data collected, a booklet on the content of cytology was developed as a product. It is expected that it can be applied in classrooms in order to improve the teaching and learning in references to Biology, to minimize, for example, alternative conceptions than can occur related to the theme

Representações de professores de língua inglesa de Natal-RN: um estudo sistêmico-funcional

Teaching and learning representations have been more and more investigated in the Brazilian applied linguistics field, as it allows the understanding of the teachers representations and how they conceive the learning process. This practice facilitates the planning of actions to improve the educational system. This study aims at identifying, interpreting and discussing some representations related to the identity and professional view of English as a foreign language teachers in different school contexts of Natal-RN. The theoretical and methodological foundation for this research is Halliday s Systemic- Functional Linguistics (1994; HALLIDAY; MATHIESSEN, 2004; EGGINS, 1994, among others). Our goal was to reveal the teachers representations embedded in their language, mainly through the ideational metafunction, as language is the tool we use to express ourselves about the external world (events, qualities, things, etc) and the internal world (thoughts, beliefs, feelings, etc). The research corpus is made of 21 teacher narratives, generated from a questionnaire sent to the teachers, who were divided in two groups: Group 1 (public schools teachers) and Group 2 (private schools and English course teachers). Most of the participants seemed to be satisfied with their professional choice. Many of them see the job as a challenge and an opportunity to transmit knowledge. All of them affirmed that the English teacher is a professional, for different reasons; however, the low professional appreciation was a recurrent aspect among the studied narratives. When asked about where they work, the private school teachers seemed to be more satisfied with the teaching-learning process than the ones from the public schools. We believe that the data analyzed in this study is important to show how some English teachers from Natal-RN see their profession. The results might be used in continuing education courses as food-for-thought in group discussions, as it is extremely important to emphasize and stimulate this practice