Normativity and descriptivity in theoretical frameworks in the field of Physics teaching

Abstract

In the Brazilian literature related with didactic applications of sciences, frequently is observed that the theoretical foundations allegedly employed are chosen exclusively among psychological learning theories, however rarely they are used properly. It is possible that this phenomenon be a consequence of an evident fact: the psychological theories are very distant from the classroom context, once they were developed to accomplish a descriptive function, instead a normative one.  In the present work, we revisited this problem, defending the thesis that psychological theories of learning must never be employed out of the context of one education theory, so that the normative foundations be provided and the connection with the practical context be reached. As an example, we construct a relationship between David Ausubel’s learning theory and Matthew Lipman’s education theory, showing how their mutual articulation allows to obtain a more efficient theoretical framework. Finally, we analyze the worth of the psychometric dimension as a tool to realize the connection between an education theory and the deeper psychological theories.