Doctoral Thesis | Alsone Jorge Guambe

Alsone Jorge Guambe

Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in general Secondary Education in

Mozambique

Commonwealth Open University

Spain

2010
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Alsone Jorge Guambe

Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in general Secondary Education in

Mozambique

Thesis to be submitted to the Faculty of Education of The

Commonwealth Open University (Spain) as part of the assessment for
the PhD degree in Education.

Supervisor: Dr. Sheryl Snyman, PhD (Ed Man)

Co-Supervisor: Prof M. Herholdt, PhD (D.Phil)

Commonwealth Open University

Spain

2010
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DEDICATION

To you my missing father...my everlasting coach!

I wonder whether those who passed away could return to this world and freely
walk around without being seen by those who once loved them, but if that could
happen I’m convinced that you would always be by my side. When hearing the
ocean, I will understand your coaching, when feeling the fresh air spotting on my
face I will feel as if your spirit was touching me…leading me to an unknown
and unpredictable future.

I love you, Waiela!

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Despite the risk I may take by forgetting some names I must be greatful to many people who
have collaborated in this thesis provided that no intellectual work can be done in the solitude,
especially because of the social nature of the ideas. Obviously, I had to overcome personal
limits and unfold efforts to materialize this study. Throughout the process I found friends
who participated in this adventure in different and productive ways.

Many people have contributed for my intellectual growth and developed my sensitivity to
subjects related to educational field. Some of them are my own students who will never
remember the invaluable participation they have given throughout this thesis.

To my supervisor, Doctor Sheryl Snyman (PhD) (Ed Man), for the interest and availability
shown in this study and for the criticisms, suggestions and encouragement that she has given
throughout its accomplishment. To Prof M. Herholdt for the support and encouragement.

To all my colleagues of the Instituto Superior Maria Mãe de África and of the Faculty of
Education of the Eduardo Mondlane University Doctors Francisco Januário and Giuseppe
Meloni, to the Masters Domingos Buque and Olívia Matusse, for the encouragement and
suggestions given in the most difficult moments. Finally, I pay tribute to my special friend
Auzinda Domingos for the devotion and professionalism demonstrated in translating this
thesis from Portuguese to English.

To my other friends and family for the support given in the accomplishment of this work.
Special thanks goes to my mother, my brother Inacito and my very special friend Marmy that
had discretelly followed the evolution of this study and to Yanis for having been an increased
source of inspiration.

Last but not least I thank God that has given me the pleasure of having his constant presence
and who has contribuited to my existence and that of everyone here in the world and who has
made this study possible!
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ABSTRACT

This thesis is aimed to contributing to theoretical and empirical theories that are related to
distance education teaching-learning process. For that reason, there has been a suggested
academic distance education teaching-learning platform based on e-learning and video-
conference, which emphasizes an active, meaningful and autonomous learning. This study is
centered in the anti-positivist paradigm and in the critical theory, although with resource, in some
cases, to the positivist paradigm because there were also quantitative aspects that are related to
human structure and behavior that needed to be considered. In order to fulfill the desired
objectives, this study presupposes the fulfillment/carrying out of a research that used a
qualitative methodology, because the aspects dealt with had to do with qualitative aspects of
human activities and experience. This was also complemented by a quantitative methodology. In
this way and in accordance with the defined objectives, the current research is exploratory by
nature and documentary in character which implied multiple methodology procedures
predominantly originating from an action research. In order to get the final product, this research
has undergone through four steps namely:

i) Diagnose the situation of Information and Communication Technology use by the

teachers of maths and natural sciences in the general Secondary Education;
ii) Implement a masters course in virtual learning environment for mathematics and natural
sciences in-service teachers;
iii) Reflection about the practices and the practices of the reflection on training and
iv) Evaluate master’s courses in virtual learning environment for mathematics and natural
sciences in-service teachers.

In the end of the fourth step it was concluded that the interaction and participation can be
improved through a mediate communication tool on the computer. This can efficiently be
supported by collaborative/interactive activities and there can be created some enriched and
authentic environment that can provide facilitating conditions for expanding the learning
environment to society and overtake the understanding of very local scope. The integrated
academic platform of e-learning and video-conference offers a wider and an integrated
functioning that allows the creation of distributed environment which can support new
approaches in qualification of mathematics and natural sciences in-service teachers, contributing
for dissemination of virtual learning environment.
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Keywords: Academic Platform, distance education, e-learning and video-conference.

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RESUMO

O objectivo principal deste estudo é contribuir com pesquisas teórico-empíricas relacionadas

com o processo de ensino-aprendizagem à distância. Para isso, propõe-se uma plataforma
académica de ensino e aprendizagem à distância, baseada na modalidade e-learning e vídeo-
conferência, que prima por uma aprendizagem activa, significativa e autónoma. Este estudo
centra-se nos paradigmas anti-positivista e da teoria crítica, embora com recurso, em alguns
casos, ao paradigma positivista na abordagem dos aspectos quantificáveis das estruturas e do
comportamento da actividade humana. A fim de atingir os objectivos pretendidos, este estudo
pressupôs a realização da pesquisa seguindo a abordagem qualitativa complementando-a com a
quantitativa. De acordo com os objectivos definidos, a pesquisa foi de carácter exploratório e
documental utilizando procedimentos metodológicos múltiplos predominantemente provindos da
pesquisa-acção. Para se chegar ao constructo final, a pesquisa passou por quatro etapas
principais:

i) Diagnosticar a situação do uso das TICs por parte de professores de Ciências Naturais
e Matemática do Ensino Secundário Geral;
ii) Adaptar e implementar conteúdos de um módulo presencial para serem ministrados à
distância, em Ambientes Virtuais de Aprendizagem para professores em exercício de
Ciências Naturais e Matemática;
iii) Reflexão sobre as práticas e as práticas de reflexão em formação e
iv) Avaliar um módulo, ministrado à distância, em Ambientes Virtuais de Aprendizagem
para professores em exercício de Ciências Naturais e Matemática.

Ao final da quarta etapa, concluíu-se que a interacção e a participação podem ser melhoradas
através de ferramentas de comunicação mediada por computador, podem ser eficazmente
suportadas actividades colaborativas e podem ser criados ambientes enriquecidos e
autênticos, criando condições facilitadas para estender o ambiente de aprendizagem à
sociedade e ultrapassar compreensões de âmbito muito local. A plataforma académica
integrada de e-learning e vídeo-conferência, oferecendo um conjunto alargado e integrado de
funcionalidades, permite nomeadamente a criação de ambientes distribuídos que podem
suportar novas abordagens na qualificação de professores de Ciências Naturais e Matemática,
contribuindo assim para a construção dos contextos de desenvolvimento de comunidades
virtuais de aprendizagem.
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Palavras-chave: Constructo, E-learning, Ensino à distância, Vídeo-conferência, Plataforma

académica.
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RESUMEN
El objetivo principal de este estudio es contribuir con investigaciones teórico – empíricas
relacionadas con el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje a distancia. Para este fin se propone
una plataforma académica de enseñanza y aprendizaje a distancia basada en la modalidad
“e-learning” y video – conferencia, que prioriza un aprendizaje activo, significativo y
autónomo. Este estudio se centra en los paradigmas anti – positivista y en la teoría crítica,
aunque con recursos, en algunos casos, del paradigma positivista en la perspectiva de los
aspectos cuantificables de las estructuras y comportamiento de la actividad humana. Con el
propósito de alcanzar los objetivos pretendidos, este estudio previó la realización de una
investigación siguiendo el abordaje cualitativo en complementación con el cualitativo. En
consonancia con los objetivos definidos, la investigación fue de carácter exploratoria y
documental utilizando procedimientos metodológicos múltiples, procedentes,
predominantemente, de la investigación – acción. Para llegar a las conclusiones finales, la
investigación pasó por cuatro etapas principales:

i) diagnosticar la situación del uso de TICs por profesores de ciencias naturales y

matemáticas de la Escuela Secundaria;
ii) adaptar y implementar contenidos de un módulo presencial para ser
administrados a distancia, en ambientes virtuales de aprendizaje para profesores
en ejercicio de ciencias naturales y matemáticas;
iii) reflexión sobre las prácticas de reflexión en formación
iv) evaluar un módulo administradado a distancia en ambientes virtuales de
aprendizaje para profesores en ejercicio de ciencias naturales y matemáticas.

Al final de la cuarta etapa, se concluyó que la interacción y la participación pueden ser

mejoradas a través de herramientas de comunicación mediatizadas por computadores; que se
pueden realizar actividades colaborativas y se pueden crear ambientes enriquecidos y
auténticos creando condiciones facilitadoras para extender el ambiente de aprendizaje a la
sociedad superando contextos locales. La plataforma académica integrada de e-learning y
video-conferencia, ofreciendo un conjunto extenso e integrado de funciones, permite,
concretamente, la creación de un ambiente distribuido que puede integrar nuevos abordajes
relacionados con la cualificación de profesores de ciencias naturales y matemáticas,
contribuindo así para la construcción de contextos de desarrollo de comunidades virtuales de
aprendizaje.
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Palabras clave: Construcción, E-learning, aprendizaje a distancia, videoconferencia,

plataforma académica.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................................... 3
LIST OF ABREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 9
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... 10
LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................................... 12

Chapter 1 ..................................................................................................................................................... 15
1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 15
1.2 Description of the Problem ............................................................................................................... 16
1.3 Conceptualization ............................................................................................................................. 19
1.3.1 Distance Education: Some reflections .................................................................................. 19
1.3.2 A tutor-teacher ...................................................................................................................... 20
1.4 Objectives and aims of this research ................................................................................................. 22
1.5 Relevance of the study ...................................................................................................................... 24
1.6 Thesis structure ................................................................................................................................. 28

Chapter 2 ..................................................................................................................................................... 30
2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 30
2.2 The Cyberculture .............................................................................................................................. 30
2.3 VLE: the learning in a new space/time ............................................................................................. 33
2.4 About the models of continuous teacher training ............................................................................. 36
2.4.1 Theoretical-conceptual framing of the training .................................................................... 37
2.4.2 Training Models: A contribution for practice analyses ........................................................ 41
2.4.3 Brief reflexion around the emerging practices ..................................................................... 42
2.4.4 The reflexion as a structuring dimension of teacher practices and professional
development ................................................................................................................................... 44

Chapter 3 ..................................................................................................................................................... 49
3.1 Analysis of the learning theories of the distance education .............................................................. 49
3.2 Concept and characterization of the Distance Education .................................................................. 55
3.2.2 Models and technologies used .............................................................................................. 58
3.2.3 Advantages and limitations of distance education ................................................................ 60
3.3 Historical Evolution of Distance Education...................................................................................... 62
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3.4 Concept and characterization of e-learning....................................................................................... 64

3.4.1 Advantages and disadvantages of the e-learning ................................................................. 67
3.4.2 Catalysers and Bias to e-learning......................................................................................... 68
3.4.3 The e-learning and the Institutions of Higher Education ..................................................... 69
3.5 Concept and characterization of video-conference ........................................................................... 72
3.6 Lessons learned ................................................................................................................................. 73

Chapter 4 ..................................................................................................................................................... 77
4.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 77
4.2 Selection of the Research Paradigm and Methodology .................................................................... 78
4.2.1 Positivism .............................................................................................................................. 78
4.2.2 Anti-positivism ...................................................................................................................... 79
4.2.3 Critical theory ....................................................................................................................... 80
4.2.4 Research paradigms and research methods ......................................................................... 81
4.3 Characterization of the research ........................................................................................................ 82
4.4 Research steps ................................................................................................................................... 88
4.5 Population and sample ...................................................................................................................... 90
4.6 Data gathering: method and instruments .......................................................................................... 91
4.6.1 Data gathering ...................................................................................................................... 93
4.6.2 Quality of information........................................................................................................... 99
4.7 Validity and reliability of the instruments ........................................................................................ 99
4.7.1 Reliability ............................................................................................................................ 100
4.7.2 Validity ................................................................................................................................ 101
4.8 Ethical Issues .................................................................................................................................. 103
4.9 Research respondents´profile .......................................................................................................... 105

Chapter 5 ................................................................................................................................................... 111

5.1 Presentation and analyze of results ................................................................................................. 111
5.1.1 Results of discussion with focal groups .............................................................................. 111
5.1.2 Results of the questionnaires .............................................................................................. 114
5.1.3 Results of interviews ........................................................................................................... 153
5.2 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 157

Chapter 6 ................................................................................................................................................... 159

6.1 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 159
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6.2 Findings........................................................................................................................................... 162

6.2.1 Factors that stimulate the natural sciences and mathematics teachers in taking masters
courses ......................................................................................................................................... 162
6.2.2 Reflections about the masters’course ................................................................................. 162
6.3 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 166
6.3.1 Motivation and stimulus ...................................................................................................... 166
6.3.2 Simuli from the external environment ................................................................................. 167
6.3.3 Stimuli from institutional environments .............................................................................. 168
6.3.4 Individual Perception of stimuli.......................................................................................... 169
6.4 From adaptation of the materials .................................................................................................... 169
6.5 From the learning conditions .......................................................................................................... 170
6.6 About online sessions ..................................................................................................................... 170
6.7 Evaluations of the sessions ............................................................................................................. 172
6.8 Conceptions and models of reflective practice on training ............................................................. 174
6.8.1 Conceptions of reflective practice....................................................................................... 175
6.8.2 Reflection Concept .............................................................................................................. 175
6.8.3 Previous Conditions to reflection ....................................................................................... 177
6.8.4 Reflection Content............................................................................................................... 179
6.8.5 Reflection Product .............................................................................................................. 179
6.8.6 Characteristics of the reflective teacher ............................................................................. 181
6.8.7 Models of the reflective practice ......................................................................................... 182
6.9 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 186
6.9.2 Topics for further studies ............................................................................................................. 193

REEFERNCES ......................................................................................................................................... 195

A P P E N D I X E S ................................................................................................................................. 207
CURRICULUM VITAE ........................................................................................................................... 227
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LIST OF ABREVIATIONS

3G – 3rd generation mobile telephony resources

ADSL – Asymetric Digital Subscriber Line
VLE – Virtual learning environment
B-LEARNING – Blended Learning
CD – Compact Disc
CD-ROM – Compact Disc-Read Only Memory
CODEC – Encoder/Decoder for digital signals
DVD – Digital Video Disc
FTP – File Transfer Protocol
HEI – Higher education institution
INOFOR – Portuguese Institute for innovation in Training
PIHE – Public institution of higher education
IRC – Internet Relay Chat
Kbps – Kilobits per second
LAN – Local Area Network
MCT – Ministry of science and technology
MEC – Ministry of education and Culture
MoRENet – Mozambique Research & Education Network
MSN – Portal da Microsoft
SWOT – Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
ICT – Information and communication Technology
TV – Television
EMU –Eduardo Mondlane University
UNESCO – United Nations Educational, scientific and cultura organization
VOIP – Voice over Internet Protocol
WAN – World wide area network
WBLE – Web-based learning environment
WBT – Web-based training
WEB/WWW – World Wide Web
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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1: Distance Education System. Adapted from Endis (1997) 57

Figure 4.1: Methodological procedures of the research 89
Figure 4.2: Age group of the participants 106
Figure 4.3: Distribution of the participants per sex 107
Figure 4.4: Professional Category of the participants 108
Figure 4.5: working time of the participants 109
Figure 4.6: Distribution of the participants per sex and per country region 110
Figure 5.1: National distribution of the selected schools 115
Figure 5.2: Distribution of the selected schools in the Southern region of Mozambique 117
Figure 5.3: Distribution of the selected schools in the Central region of Mozambique 118
Figure 5.4: Distribution of the selected schools in the Northern region of Mozambique 118
Figure 5.5: Sample distribution by gender 120
Figure 5.6: Percentage distribution of sample by length of service 120
Figure 5.7: Percentage of respondents (teachers) by geographic zones of the country 123
Figure 5.8: Graphical representation of the academic qualifications of the teachers
surveyed 127
Figure 5.9: Graphical representation of the age of the teachers surveyed 128
Figure 5.10: Degree Percentage of teachers surveyed with a computer at home 130
Figure 5.11: Forms of Initiation in ICT for teachers questioned in percentage 131
Figure 5.12: Level of competence of the teachers surveyed in the use of MS-Office 132
Figure 5.13: Category of the teachers surveyed 134
Figure 5.14: Time of work of teachers surveyed 137
Figure 5.15: Teachers respondents with computer at home 138
Figure 5.16: Teachers respondents without computer and Internet at home 138
Figure 5.17: Teachers with computer at home without Internet 139
Figure 5.18: Teachers with home computer and Internet 139
Figure 5.19: Scree Plot 145
Figure 5.20: Level of indecision of teacher asked about the use of ICT' in TCT 147
Figure 5.21: Level of agreement of teachers asked about use of ICT' in TCT 149
Figure 5.22: Level of disagreement of teachers asked about use of ICT' in TCT 150
Figure 5.23: Level of abstention of teacher asked about use of ICT' in TCT 150
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Figure 6.1: Scheme used in online sessions 171

Figura 6.2: Functional Organigram of Distance Education Platform 193
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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: Comparative table of the presented theoretical perspectives 54

Table 3.2: Main services available for the Distance Education. 60
Table 3.3: Advantages and disadvantagens of e-learning 67
Table 3.4: SWOT analysis of e-learning in IES. Proper author 71
Table 4.1: Data Gathering Matrix 91
Table 4.2: Participants´Academic training 106
Table 4.3: Distribution of the participants per sex and per country region 107
Table 4.3: Distribution of the participants per Professional Category 109
Table 5.1: Response rate of the sample selected in the Southern region of
Mozambique 116
Table 5.2: Response rate of the sample selected in the Central region of Mozambique 117
Table 5.3: Response rate of the sample selected in the Northen region of Mozambique 118
Table 5.4: Sample distribution by gender 120
Table 5.5: List of Secondary schools surveyed in the Southern region of Mozambique 121
Table 5.6: List of Secondary schools surveyed in the central region of Mozambique 122
Table 5.7: List of Secondary schools surveyed in the Northen region of Mozambique 122
Table 5.8: Training vs. Professional category of teachers in the South of Mozambique 124
Table 5.9: Training vs. Professional category of teachers in the Center of Mozambique 125
Table 5.10: Training vs. Professional category of teachers in the North of Mozambique 125
Table 5.11: Academic qualifications of the teachers surveyed 126
Table 5.12: Age array of teachers surveyed 127
Table 5.13: Teachers respondents with Internet at home 128
Table 5.14: Teachers respondents with computers at home 130
Table 5.15: Forms of Initiation In ICT for teachers questioned in frequencies 131
Table 5.16: Level of competence of the teachers surveyed in the use of MS-Office 132
Table 5.17: Category of the teachers surveyed 133
Table 5.18: Time of work of teachers surveyed 137
Table 5.19: Teachers respondents with computer at home 137
Table 5.20: Range of KMO values and their meanings 141
Table 5.21: KMO and Barlett’s Test 141
Table 5.22: Variables subjected to factor analysis 142
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Table 5.23: Anti-image matrices 144

Table 5.24: Total Variance Explained 145
Table 5.25: Degree of competence of teachers in the production of multimedia materials 148
Table 5.26: Level of experience of teachers in the use of computing platforms 148
Table 5.27: Form of initiation of teacher respondents to ICT 151
Table 5.28: Answers to questions from the structured interview 155
Table 5.29: Answers to open interview questions 156
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Epigraph

"In a world that once in a blue moon I try to understand, there are target winds blowing
when we do slightest expect. Sometimes blowing with the violence of a hurricane,
sometimes we hardly feel them in our face. But the winds cannot be denied, bringing as
often bring a future not possible to ignore. You, my dear, are the wind I couldn't anticipate,
the burst that blew with more violence than ever did not imagine possible. You are my
destiny" (Sparks, 2009: 293).
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Chapter 1

1.1 Introduction

The dynamics of the modern world demands to an update and refinement to all professionals. The
questioning, the autonomous thought and the capacity in the decision making are essential so
that each professional overcomes the limits of a simple execution, adapting him or herself and
assimilating changes as well as facing new challenges that take place daily. As stated by Lévy
(1996:54) “The people not only are led to change their profession several times in their life, as
well as, within the same “profession”, the knowledge that has an innovative short cycle”. In
addition and according to Lévy (1999:173), “the proper notion of profession becomes even
problematic”.

The rapid evolution of the society creates new needs in the field of education and among them
there is a continuous training. Consequently, educators and researchers seek for alternatives to
traditional systems that will fulfill the needs. Within the new and old alternatives, the distance
education is a path way that is becoming consolidated in the country and is at the same time
gaining political visibility.

Although, the new available regulations, most of the time are controversial regarding the
Distance Education. There are several classic definitions from well-known distance education
experts. Each one of these is based on a historic moment and specific socio-economic scenario.
Some authors use Distance Education and Distance Learning terms interchangeably. However,
in this study the researcher uses the terminology Distance Education because it is considered to
be a bigger umbrella. For example: Mamede-Neves (1996) considers that, the term Distance
Education and Distance Learning stand for the same meaning, that is, they are extremely related
processes, with a pedagogical compromise. The definition of Distance Learning, according to
Aretio, takes into account its range, and currently it does not differ from the definition of
distance learning and distance education conveyed by Zentgraf:

Distance learning is a technological system of bidirectional communication. It can reach

many people in substitution of personal interaction between teacher and student in the
classroom and it serves as a favorable mean of communication because of its joint and
systematic action of variety of resources and support from an organization and tutorial
that empowers the student learning process (Aretio, 1994 cited by Zentgraf, 2000:2).
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Regarding teacher training, the distance education may allow that a certain number of schools
spread all over the country, be able to cope/harmonize with the latest orientations in terms of
methodology, scientific and technical knowledge. Moreover, it creates the possibility to help
teachers in their educationnal activities to speed up the sharing of experiences, as most of the
programs encourage study groups within which there is a strong disposition of mutual support
(Barreto, 1995).

The expansion and consolidation of the continuous training focused on teachers by at distance
requires from everybody involvement and research. Experiences should be analyzed carefully to
assure the quality rather than quantity.

In order to support continuous training, the researcher has summarized some observations that
can be used as reference for the conception and application of projects concerning distance
education. The basis of these reflections are based mainly on three experiences: (i) as a student
of International Education Policy course by Teachers college-Columbia University of New
York, (ii) as a teacher of ICT in Education in an institution of higher Education (IHE) and (iii)
as a researcher of a Distance Education program in a public institute of higher Education
(PIHE).

1.2 Description of the Problem

In Mozambique, grade 12 Science and Mathematics students’ outcomes have been decreasing
comparatively to other Southern African countries (MEC, 2008).

School failure is a huge and complex issue to deal with and pursue as its questions have
different interpretation. Nevertheless, consciously and foreseeing all the difficulties that lay
ahead, the researcher has chosen this theme because of its socio-economic importance to the
development of the country. The researcher will particularly focus on Mathematics subject
because in Mozambique this is a subject with higher failure rates. It is with no doubt that for
most people, Mathematics is a subject of major importance. A considerable number of people
believe that this subject is useful for daily life. However, it is common to hear among students,
professionals from different fields that their relationship with mathematics is not or has never
been established with harmony or leisure.

The school mathematics, very often, is far from life mathematics. This means that what we learn
at school is not used in our relationships where the domain of technology linked to mathematics
 17

is needed. On the other hand, professionals that operate in these fields need to have the domain
of the contents to be able to carry their tasks out.

Why is mathematics difficult to most of students? What are the major difficulties that the
students face? Several authors such as Damm (1999), Fernandez (1997), Gómez-Granell (1997)
and Micotti (1999), assign such difficulties to the type of reasoning that it requires, to the
symbolic and formal language and the transition from arithmetic to algebra. Analyzing the
nature of the students’ difficulties in the learning of mathematics, the role of the teacher
becomes crucial. To be able to analyze the teacher´s role in this study, the researcher did consult
authors like Brito (1996b), Brousseau (1996), D`Ambrosio (1997), Perrin-Glorin (1996), Tardif
(2000), among others.

Based on difficulties that seem to exist in the learning of Mathematics – difficulties coming
from different sources that are related to the student and their experiences, the complexity of
Mathematics content and the methodology used. Now we should ask: How does a Mathematics
teacher - as a mediator of teaching-learning process - should act? What is the teacher’s practice
to teach Mathematics? Critically thinking about Mathematics teaching practice, it calls our
attention to teacher training questions or to how and where the teacher got his training to be a
teacher?

For the researcher’s better understanding of initial training for in-service teachers in the 2nd
cycle of general Secondary Education he analyzed the curriculum structural plans of the courses
in Faculties and Teacher Training Centers where this group of teachers got their training in
country. It was concluded that Mathematics teachers’ training faces many problems that are not
local but general. If, on one hand, in Honor Bachelor Degree there is a poor theoretical and
practice relation.

Discussion regarding teachers’ training in order to play new roles imposed by education in the
new millennium is not a recent one. There is not an end to this discussion because new
contributions keep coming from different experts from all continents, such as: Perez Gómez
(1997), Schön (1997), Zeichner (1993).

It is believed that new teachers are still being trained in the same way their teachers were
trained; this scenario hinders the concretization of necessary changes for the preparation of the
students in a more competitive society depending on new technologies.
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In more recently decades, the discussion has been focused on training and teachers’ activities
aspects namely: technological specialists and reflective practice. When we talk about teachers’
initial training that we mean academic part, in its subjects.

Teachers are not born teachers, and their training is not limited to three or four years, which is
considered a normal period for finishing a course. The training of these teachers is not only
assured by the university which trained them. Thus the interpretation of practical things in the
field not only depend on university background but also on the interpretation of the reality that
he faces in the field, building up teachers’ practical skills.

The critique to the current Mathematics teachers’ initial training comes from teachers of
different levels. Ponte (2002), based on the research curried out with teachers of higher
education states, university teachers do not understand the contents of the backbone subjects of
teachers to be. Methodology teachers complain saying that in all they teach the message does
not get across because students are used to the old-fashioned teaching practice strategies.
Undergraduated teachers complain saying that all they have learned, in the classroom, was good
for nothing only in their teaching practice they learned something important. On the other hand,
old professional teachers believe that new teachers are not ready for what should be the most
important thing. Thus, the society seems doubtful regarding the quality of initial trained
teachers.

Baldino (1999) in considering the general worry with the mathematics education and the
investments given to research, says that the teaching of mathematics is a human activity
characterized by failure. In so being, the researches rely on change: change at school, change in
the classroom, change on the students, change on the teacher… and the need for change in the
mathematics teacher training institutions so that they can play their role as an agent of the
reality transformation/er.

However, in Mozambique the situation is different. There is a situation which hinders the
process of updates and improvements of Natural Sciences and Mathematics teachers’ programs.
So, the vast majority of these professionals, works in public and private schools, with
overloaded timetables. As a result, they do not have enough time to attend university face-to-
face lessons, participate in meetings, scientific exhibitions, seminaries and courses in big city
centers.
 19

In the light of this scenario, the central problem, object of this research, is: will the distance
education, in the virtual learning environments (VLE), be a suitable alternative for the training
of mathematics and natural sciences teacher so that they are able to play their role as an agent of
reality transformationer?

1.3 Conceptualization

1.3.1 Distance Education: Some reflections

Whichever project should attentively focus on the students needs and take into consideration
their culture and socio-economic situation, interests and experiences, educational background,
familiarity with technology, readiness for new ways of learning. Currently, the tendency of
Distance Education is to rely on technology in order to accommodate users need.

The diversity of media channels – printing, radio, television, project in the internet, audio-
conferences, interactive TV, etc – allow a number of possibilities and combinations of media in
distance education. Whichever model chosen is fundamental to study pedagogical mediation
possibilities.

Distance education requires carefully preparation of materials and adaptation of traditional

strategies to the learning situation. Interaction in distance education environment is different
from face-to-face education. Gutiérrez and Prieto (1994:61-62) affirm that in face-to-face
education the teacher “should play the role of mediator between the content and the student
learning” while in distance education the handouts and materials provided to students are the
ones which meditate.

Activities should be selected taking into consideration that communication will be established
via technological equipments. Several means can separately be used or combined so that the
presence of the teacher can be felt through at least one means of communication. Revolution in
Information Communication Technology has created huge experienced and explored channels
as instruments of distance education. There is no better means of communication for distance
learning as each means of communication is selected according to each learning situation.

The capacity of getting the message across is the basic characteristic of education rather than a
quality, the capacity of getting the message across is a conquest of distance education. Thus,
generally speaking, it can't focus on the transmission of information, because we can run a risk
of producing banking education” pointed out by Freire (1975). We have to remember that
 20

information is as a raw material, so it, per se, is not enough, while knowledge has a process of
learning with a central and articulated axle. Therefore, information should be organized in order
to build and foster creativity and critical thinking, expanding the possibilities of knowledge
development.

There is a need to select activities and interactions, choosing relevant situations and examples
and structure them in a logical sequence, in order not to focus only on the observation and
assimilation of contents. But to reach the action-research level there is a need to consider
“professional practice as an original way of training and building up of knowledge” (Borges
&Tardif, 2001:15).

According to Ausubel, Novak and Hanesian (1983), a learning process is only meaningfully
when it establishes a real relationship between the new and what is already known, that is, when
in a learning process situation the information the student already has can be used as the starting
point of articulating new information.

Therefore, a mediation dialogue through materials should be promoted by activities focussed on

the contextualization of new information. In this way, the new theoretical reference will not be
simple objects of memorization, but part of the repertoire to be related on the previous
knowledge.

Thus, each teacher-student – starting from new information, information the student already
have and which is based on their experience and background – can build up knowledge based
on specific reference of their life course.

1.3.2 A tutor-teacher

The word tutor comes from Latin tutor-tutoris and it means someone who defends preserves,
supports and help. However, it does not mean student dependency in relation to tutor, it, per se,
would be a contradiction because distance education has as essential elements self-management
and autonomy in relation to studies (SIMAC-UNESCO, 1989).

There are some crucial internal and external requirements to be a tutor. As Chacón (1999) says,
educator who works with distance education is not a simple master or teacher compromised
with transmission of information. He is a professional with specifics skills, who carefully select
relevant information to be articulated dayly taking into account the culture and specific needs of
the target people.
 21

Tutorial should be a point of permanent contact between student and institution in charge of the
training, as it facilitates and provides permanent motivation and support to students’ learning
process (UNISUR, 1983). A distance learning student has as a support interaction with the
tutorial as well as other elements of education training institution.

This relationship between a student and an institution is seen as “guided didactic conversation”.

…argues that motivation and pleasure for study increase when there is a friendly
conversation between teacher and student and, this is possible because of the didactic
materials which have a double sense in the communication. Messages conveyed via
conversation form are easily comprehended and recalled. To reach this form of
conversation can be applied all means available for distance education (Contreras &
legal, 1998).

The establishment of connection and permanent interaction between teacher and student open
opportunity for a periodical revision of the course initial plan, giving it possibilities of
correction and improvement.

Besides this, it allows flexibility in the teaching and learning process adjusted to teachers and
students possibilities and needs. Students’ reports play a great role to deepen the understanding
of distance education. Students’ daily experience and vision assume an active role in the
development of the course.

Apart from having a deep understand of contents, the teacher deals with the students in an
objective and communicative way. A tutor-teacher should respect and take into consideration
students’ experience conveyed by teachers and students. Teachers’ Initial and continuous
training should not focus only on technical aspects. “The incorporation of reflection practices in
action, which enriches the number of unexpected situation, should also be incorporated in the
teaching program” (Queiroz, 2001:115).

Dialogue can take different forms; therefore, it is important that tutor-teacher uses it accordingly
to in the available technologies. Whichever is the form, the most important thing is to ensure
that students are not shut. There is no point in having the most modern resource if the tutors and
participants are not ready to use them, and are not conscious of the advantage and disadvantage
of the technology that is being used.

From researcher’s point of view, distance education is still too far from being effectively
recognized in Mozambican educational system, as it is provided in a limited and systematic
 22

form. Today, there are more distance education courses available than there where some years
ago, but the recognition of these courses is still limited.

This phenomenon of rejection drives its attention to the type of training but not to its quality. So
distance education and face-to-face education both have great advantages and disadvantages
depending on the project and professional responsibility of the managers.

In this context, from researchers’ point of view, distance education appears as an alternative to
supplement the restriction of face-to-face education. Its methodology has been a center of
debates and questioning, above all, because of the new trends in the communication field and
the advent of new technologies.

New Information Communication Technology developments have given more credibility and
access to distance education. The possibilities of more virtual interaction between the master
and the student have created levels of teaching and learning environment almost similarly to
face-to-face teaching and learning environment. New technologies are attractive and therefore
new resources should be adequately and moderately be incorporated, taking into account the
real situations of students’ access.

On the other hand, public policies should respond to the demand of teachers’ initial and in-
service training. Democratization of education requires that teachers should have: knowledge,
skills and competence that allow them to face and respond to daily challenges.

In this way, distance education can help teachers to overcome time and space problems and
shortage of financial resources. Distance education can not only give opportunity to teachers
who are far away from information centers but also to those who are near and cannot follow up
all the training process due to their social issues.

In this context, the researcher argues that distance education cannot be considered an
alternative or compensation to face-to-face education, but an opportunity to rethink education in
its holistic vision.

1.4 Objectives and aims of this research

Based on the question raised, this study has as its general objective:
 23

 Invest in the improvement of the teaching in the classroom through second cycle
of general education mathematics and natural sciences teacher continuous
training, based on virtual learning environments.

As a complement to the general objective of research, there are also specific objectives that will
reinforce the development of study, namely:

 diagnose the level of use of information technology and communication among

teachers of natural sciences and mathematics in the second cycle of general
education;
 reflect on the organization of the post graduation courses for mathematics and
natural sciences teachers to be run on the distance education basis and based on
virtual learning environments (e-learning) and (video conference);
 adapt an on-going post-graduation course and materials for mathematics and
natural science teachers of the second cycle of general education run via distance
education and based on virtual learning environments (e-learning) and (video
conference);
 Analyze whether the post graduation goals were fulfilled with regard to the
reinforcement of teacher competences in the classroom reducing the rotativity in
the school system.

Taking into account the specific objectives listed above, there are research questions that pursue
answers, namely:

1. How to diagnose the level of use of information technology and communication

among teachers of mathematics and natural sciences of the second cycle of
general education?
2. What administrative-pedagogical processes guide the planning and organization
of post-graduation courses run via distance education in virtual learning
environments?
3. What indicators may guide the implementation of a post graduation course run
via distance education and based on virtual learning environments, (e-learning)
and (video conference)?
4. What teacher competences may be identified as a guaranty that the objectives of
post graduation were fulfilled?
 24

1.5 Relevance of the study

Before going any further, it is important to remind that the social need for education has been
rising even with the difficulties and constraints that people come across; there is a consolidation
of the universality of education. Furthermore, it is good to emphasize that education “lasts for
life and it is carried out either formally or systematically within the established curriculum,
through the exchange of experience in a day to day participatory life” (Huberman, 1999:21).
Education is not limited to physical space, traditionally known neither as school nor to as
certain time. Education must be present throughout life of every person. This leads to an idea of
a continuous and continued education be it formal or informal.

Apparently, until now, distance education plays the role of pedagogic alternative system aiming
to open access to information for those who are willing to learn. However, if well managed and
using adequate means it can effectively contribute to overcome barriers in accessing distance
professional qualification. It can also foster strategies that support the implementation of
permanent education principles and ends on continuous training.

So the researcher argues that distance education should not be considered an alternative and
compensatory method to face-to-face education. On the contrary, it should be looked at as an
opportunity to rethink education as a whole, authors like Gutiérrez e Prieto (1994:12) consider
distance education as “an alternative strategy to respond to the limitation of traditional
classroom”. However, some authors say that this kind of education presents some risks:
industrialized teaching, consuming, institutionalized and authoritarian and involves vast number
of participants. In this perspective, its implementation requires a carefully attention, but if the
project is dealt with seriously it should be given the same value the face-to-face education has.
The researcher views or sees that distance education is just a strategy, a teaching methodology
toward educational services. In this way, course structure, curriculum, evaluation criteria are the
same as the ones approved for traditional courses. What makes these two differ is teacher’s
competence, teacher-students relationship, means used to get the message across and the
technical-administrative organization of the responsible sector of course programs.

Currently every profession is challenged by changes. This is to say that for the teacher
professionalization, a series of needs is required one of which is the continuous training.

Knowledge and abilities applied in a specific professional field are becoming less fixed, in short
period of time, they transform themselves and become obsolete. Working this way, a lot of
 25

demands new science trends in technical and technological fields, in transport and
communication systems, and even, in relation behavior, organization and leisure, more access to
information and continuous development of new skills to adjust and accommodate these
changes.

The changes that occur take place in society can be analyzed from different angles. Certainly, in
all of them, education has a strategic position the same way the teacher and continuous training
have. This training is seen as a systematic preparation for the different aspect of teaching
activity and likewise the key point for the modernization of teaching.

According to Perrenoud “it is possible that the teacher’s basic training course does not cover
these rapid and diversified changes that go along with the evolution of teaching activities
conditions” (Perrenoud quoted by Chakur, 1995: 80).

Although the teacher acting expectation is included in the table of change, it is interesting to
observe that “no profession gets older than the teacher´s because it deals directly with the
logical knowledge. Besides getting the diploma itself, there is a need for keeping the teacher
updated throughout life” (Demo, 1998:191).

From the personal point of view, there is a need for the teacher to understand the relevance of
keeping professionally updated. The teachers must also “conceive their profession as a way of
being and living in the profession” (Huberman, 1999:47). But it is also, with no doubt, important to
recognize the viability conditions in the development of their carrier. Institutionally, this issue
involves a series of requisites in terms of political decision and economical resources. Factors
such as hesitation to change, lack of programs that respond to the needs, lack of incentives and
budget restrictions make it difficult to run continuous teacher training programs. Therefore,
every continuous training project should have a real motivating reason for the introduction of
changes and there should be necessary instruments and infra-structure available to carry out the
expected changes. Joint provisions of above facts hinder the teacher’s professional systematic
updates in the country.

Initial and continuous training are two sides of the same course. Both aim to develop necessary
competencies for the teacher’s activity and for the society and community. These two sides of
the same course should constitute a coherent and integrated unit. It is not possible to clearly spot
the end of a learning process and the beginning of real teaching process, “as there is an overlap
between training time and social-professional experience onein between this overlap, all
 26

competences acquisition strategies (including autodidactic) find their place” (Lévy, 1999:174).
Some teachers try to self manage their continuous training, while others perhaps “because they
think that pedagogic know-how is a question of gift or experience” (Perrenound, 1997:199),
ignore the need of continuous training. We cannot forget that for to make this self training we
have to have an aim for the continuous training. And that aim is understood as an action in
search of formal knowledge, a way of being aware of their praxis and pedagogic activities. This
process of continuous improvement and updates brings confidence to the teacher and enables
them to see new challenges and perspectives in their action.

Continuous training should be part of the teacher’s professional life through “variety of
channels that facilitate his/her knowledge update” (Nascimento, 1998:75). Face-to-face and
distance courses are only some of the channels.

It is believed that teachers’ continuous training is an issue that should not be dissociated from
initial training and “somehow, initial training is seen as the starting point for the continuous
training which will last for all teacher’s professional carrier” (Perrenoud, 1997:149), the
researcher thinks that is crucial to mention some points that cover initial training and call our
attention to continuous training.

In initial training courses, the distance that separate the curriculum from the teaching practice
can clearly be seen in real schools. Therefore, in accordance with initial training, most of the
times are inadequated and not adjusted to the reality, misleading teachers to start their
professional lives without the minimum pedagogic practice background. It is necessary to
rethink initial training to enable “the future teacher to build up a dialectic relation” and “to
prepare and facilitate closer relationship between the teacher and student in a harmonic
articulation with knowledge and know-how, and as a stepping-stone to an authentic learning
(Gonçalves, 1992:168).

It is important to remember that the teaching activity can last 25 to 30 years and with the
continuous scientific development there is a need for a permanent professional update. We
cannot ensure that the teacher has already finished the course as soon as the teacher gets the first
certificate. This certificate is only the foundation of the teacher’s carrier. Regarding teachers’
continuous training it is essential to propose alternatives “in response to the teachers’ real needs
and according to a permanent education perspective, in addition, it is necessary to promote,
 27

support and encourage pedagogical initiatives at school and in the teachers” (Gonçalves,
1992:168).

The transformations that are taking place in the society are going to affect the teacher’s role.
There will certainly be a need of some changes in the initial training for future teachers and the
establishment of a continuous training policy for in-service teachers. The new qualification that
will be required for the teachers are not the only ones, but also the new opportunities that will
be opened for those who accept challenges and who have open minds for new challenges.

It is a social moment with no defined rules to go ahead, “the teacher should be critical thinker
on the activities in order to orientate the procedures to the interests and will to improve and
perform better” (kenski, 1998:69).

Apart from defending the articulation between the initial training with the practice, universities
should introduce continuous training, inviting teachers to a gather together to reflecing on their
practice. Partnerships among schools and universities are important and necessary for the
effective implementation of continuous training.

If, on the one hand, the teaching practice analyze has lead to a controversial theory when
confronted with the recent research finding (Pimenta, 1996), on the other hand, some authors
argue that is essential to consider that teachers have a practical vision of their action and
knowledge. This vision has been developed through the theory and practice combination. Now,
there is a need for universities and teachers to come together because it is extremely important
to introduce intellectual improvement in teachers’ training, above all, through high ranking
university training and through Education Science research and edification of teaching specific
content repertoire (Borges & Tardif, 2001:15).

The continuous teacher training as an investment towards the improvement of teaching in the
classroom is stated by Nóvoa (1992) and Schön (1992). The continuous training process means
an opportunity for the teachers to understand that they have knowledge that can contribute for
the understanding and improvement of the learning-teaching process. It is important to consider
that teachers can produce specific knowledge for their own working field and are also able to deliberate
about their own practices; to drive-in, share and improve their practices to introduce changes that are
likely to boost their efficacy. In short, teachers are considered as “practical-reflective people” they are
able to reflect about themselves and their practices (Borges &Tardif, 2001).

Teachers’ long pedagogic practical and professional experience accumulated throughout their
 28

teaching lives clearly show that universities also have something to learn from them. If the
distance between universities and school is suppressed, certainly there will be an exchange of
information and critical discussion that can contribute a lot to theoretic and practical
development of both institutions. One way of overcoming the distance between schools and
universities is distance learning.

University is a place where the teacher can get new information that will lead him/her to build
up new knowledge. In most cases, what dictates teacher’s absence in the university is the
personal and professional everyday demands. When the teacher plans to continue with studies
he/she is forced to leave school and even city. This moving uses almost all the teacher teaching
time, forcing him/her to stop teaching and spend a lot of money in transport and food and
frequently in accommodation.

1.6 Thesis structure

This study consists of six chapters.

In chapter one – there is an introduction and orientation the contextualization of the research
theme and there is an overview of the problem being researched. It also presents the objectives
and aims of this research, the relevance and thesis structure.

In chapter two – there is a discussion which is later confronted with several authors arguments
about the topic based on Education. There is a presentation and an overview of the studies about
teacher training and professionalization, theoretical issues of the continuous teacher training
with regard to its characteristics, ways of developing their daily school work and life as well as
the discussions about the implications and contributions that certain practices bring to the
current educational context.

In chapter three – mainly about Distance Education, gives a brief presentation of the teaching
theoretical approaches that guide distance education, it discusses in detail theoretical questions
about teacher’s continuous training. There is a brief definition of the term distance learning
giving an overview of its historical evolution as well as its components, modalities and
technologies used. Following that the chapter deals with the characterization of e-learning,
video-conference, presenting their advantage and disadvantage. Barriers of e-learning and some
video-conference constrains, environment and critical factors for the success of this modality
are also discussed in this chapter. Questions of quality in education, concepts, different visions,
 29

trying always to highlight distance education and special in e-learning education are also
discussed.

In chapter four – there is a discussion of the research methodological procedures including the
research general methodology conception, the population, the sample, research instruments and
the validity as well as data analyze and interpretation. Finally, there is presentation of the profile
of the participants of this study.

In chapter five – there is a presentation of the study findings, analysis and discussion of the
results of this study diagnostic phase.

In chapter six – includes assessment and adaptation of the course model for distance post-
graduated level where the teaching process is suppose to take place in virtual learning
environment (VLE) for in-service teachers of Natural Science and Mathematics, teaching in the
2nd Cycle of general Secondary Education. Here there is also a presentation of the practice
reflection and the training reflection practice aimed to discussing teaching as a rational and
reflective activity. As an activity where each step taken is carefully planed and each option is a
result of a deliberative process, as a utopian practice to reach. At the end there is presentation of
conclusions and key recommendations of the study that point out to the country’s need to
expand and disseminate knowledge and training to the largest possible number of in-service
teachers.
 30

Chapter 2

2.1 Introduction

In a transition phase from one period to another, like the one which is being lived at the
moment, there is an epistemological debate in a process whose dialectics is defined between
the right and the wrong, the stable and the unsteady, the continuoum and the rupture.

The reality is that we are in the full process of the construction of a global technological digital
society that it is shaped as a deeply dynamic and communicative society, with new languages
(sayings), new codes, new customs and new values (Luzzi, 2007).

In this section, the researcher is supposed to discuss the current context in which the teaching
learning process occurs.

2.2 The Cyberculture

Since the oral culture to date in the digital culture, there have been several social
transformations that are being produced by the technological advances that are the producers of
the same technological advances. According to Tapscott (1999), in the beginning of the 21st
century people live the“net generation”, which is defined by the author as a children generation
that are aged 2 to 22 and have a fluency degree in the digital means. This generation is living a
revolution in the information supports that creates a new culture. Such culture is based on the
acceleration of the exchanges, in the abolition of the geographical limits and in the real time.
These are factors that create new ways of relationships, new spaces and new learning ways.

In this way, the Internet allows people to meet in an environment that has no time and space
limits. An open environment that is in constant change in which the communication is
facilitated through computing resources. The people use chat, email, group discussion, the
communities that are built from a common interest, which at the same time marks deeply the
way how these people establish their relationships in that new culture. They live the dialectics
between the isolation and the socialization – at the same time that they isolate themselves in
their bedrooms to access Internet, they search through Internt the contact with others.

For Tapscott (1999), the time spent on the Internet is an active one. These are hours spent for
reading, for research, for skills development and problem solving. This is the time spent
analysing, evaluating, conciliating the thoughts and writing. The Internet opens the possibility
 31

for dialogue among different ways of life, different ways of thought, which generates a
perception of a world that considers the wealth of the human diversity. In this way, the
computers not serve only as calculating machines and for ordering, but also as creation tools,
pleasure, communication and and social contact (Lemos, 2003).

This living together takes place in a differential space, a spiritual space. The virtual time can be
understood in several ways. On the philosophical perspective “it is virtual that exists only in
power and not in an act [...]. The virtual is found before the effective or formal concretization”
(Lévy, 1999:47). Lévy considers that “it is virtual all entity that no longer belongs to any
territory, able to generate several concrete demonstrations in different moments and certain
places, without being itself stuck to a particular place or time” (1999:47). In so being, it is
believed that the virtual is real even wthout being possible to fix it in a certain time and on a
certain, it exists without being present.

On this virtual space, the living together happens in a real time that is very different from the
linear and historical time of modernity. The real time (immediate), ruled on the computer nets
not belonging to any territory the culture, having a strong impact in all social sectors and in our
view of the world.

Currently, the geographical distance does not limit anymore the communicaton and meeting of
people, likewise the time that is never more chronological and linear, but it is time for
connections and time that is always present. The communication tools that are made available
generate the circulation of information and a possibility for dicentralized connections in a
rhizomatous structure creating a complex system in which there is no centralization of the
communication but there are connection nets.

In this way, there are experiments on new ways of sociability that happen on a so-called virtual
space. The labour, leisure, friendship, learning relatonships are developed in these
environments. But what space is this? It is called cyberspace, a terminology that was invented
and used for the first time in 1984, by the author of the scientific fiction William Gibson in a
romance called Neuromancer. The author defines the cyberspace as a “physical or territorial
space comprised in a set of computer nets through which all information (under several forms)
circulate” (Lemos, 2003:136).

Santaella (2003) states that the terminology cyberspace has been used as a generic name to
appoint a set of different technologies that “have in common the ability to simulate
 32

environments within which the humans can interact” (p. 99). Lévy (1999) defines the
cyberspace as “communication space that is open by the world computer interconnections” (p.
92).

For Lemos (2003), it is possible to understand the cyberspace from two perspectives: “as a
place where we are when we enter the simulated environment (virtual reality) and as a set of
computer nets, interlinked or not, in the whole planet, to Internet” (p. 137). The author calls
attention to the fact that there should be the interlinkage between these two conceptions of
cyberspace, as the nets will interlink among themselves and at the same time will allow the
interaction by virtual worlds in three dimensions. In this way, the author considers the
cyberspace as “a complex ecosystem where the interdependence prevails among the
technological macro-system (the net of the interlinked machines) and the social micro-system
(the dynamics of the users), created from the dissemination of the information, by the flow of
the data and by the social created relations” (Lemos, 2003: 147).

From these definitions it is understood that there are consensus in conceiving cyberspace as an
interlinked net of all computers on the planet from which the human beings interact, and it is in
this way that it is understood and used in this work. There are several ways through which we
can enter and use this virtual space where one feels present even realising that the things have
no physical form. One of them is the virtual learning environment (VLE), which can be
understood as a space on the Internet made up of individuals, their study objects, their
interactions/relations and ways of communication that are established through a platform 1,
having as a major focus the learning (Behar, 2005).

This environment can provide sync and assync tools for interaction/communication among
individuals. It can also offer resources aimed to empowering on the learner a cooperative work,
giving emphasis the process of building knowledge, autonomy and authorial.

The VLE presents itself as a learning context, which is different from the traditional context on
which we have an established physical space and an established time that determines the
interaction and characterize the classroom. In the virtualization process of the learning
environment, there are different ways of time and space relations that imply depth in the
learning process.

Such changes are socially and culturally felt as they are part of the so called “cyberculture”,

1
Platform is understood as a technological infrastructure made up of the functioning of the graphic interface.
 33

that is defined by Lévy as“[...] the set of techniques (material and intellectual), of practices, of
attitude, way of thought and values which are developed together with the growth of
cyberspace” (1999: 17). For Lemos (2003: 95), “the cyberculture is built as a cybersociality”.
The author understands that the cyberculture is built from the relationship between the digital
technologies, the society and culture. Even without understanding, the digital culture is always
present in our lives, in all activities that involve our relationship with the machine, as for
example the use of credit cards, of cellular phones, bank terminals and many other activities that
we carry out.

In that culture, several concepts that used to bring the feeling of stability and certainty, today
they are changing and influencing our way of life, our way of looking and seeing the world, and
in particular, the education. The concept of the lesson, for example that is linked to an idea of a
well-defined time and space, today it is questioned. This happens because such time and space
can today be more flexible at the time that teachers and pupils make virtual appointments
through chats, and communicate permanently through the use of email.

2.3 VLE: the learning in a new space/time

In this technological advance, the different resources that the learning environments provide, the
living is encoutered with the critique to the traditional learning concept based on the
transmission and memorazation of knowledge as a result of the growing adjustment between the
demand for a new culture and what such learning offers. In this study, the learning is conceived
from the theory of Edgar Morin, so the researcher understands that education is essentially
complex. In this way, it is important to tie to education the idea if the complex thought which
considers the quality of the parts and of the whole as well as the relationships that exist among
them.

The learning is, in this way, understood as going beyond “to know to do something”,
understanding. This understanding is taking place in the linkage between the known to the
unknown, that is, it is in the conjunction of the acknowledgement and the discovery that the
individual builds or rebuilds some knowledge. This learning is built in the interaction of the
individual with the physical, social, spiritual, cultural and historical environment that surrounds
him or her. According to Morin (1996: 61), “the cerebral knowledge needs, evidently, of
stimulus to put itself in action and develop. More deeply, it needs the organizational presence of
the environment withinn its own organization”.
 34

The human being is a being with relations and in so being he or she needs to have opportunities
to develop. His/her original knowledge is mainly linked to an active relation with the outside
world in which he/she mobilizes not only the reason and the intellect but also the sensations,
emotions and intuition. For that reason, we can not conceive the disjunction between the subject
and the object, on the contrary, in a complex way, conceive his/her indissoluble conjunction,
because of the resort link on which several resorts are needed to the constitution of the others.

Such relationship demonstrates that it is no longer possible to think of an education based on the
traditional teaching model, in which the directive and strict processes are developed. In these
processes, what occurs is the content transmission and a worry on the memorazation of facts as
well as of the isolated information. These are contents that are dealt with in an unshared,
discontextualized strengthening the belief of disjuntion between the subject and the object.
These are postures that reinforce the traditional paradigm of education, that strengtens the
development of instructional pedagogical practices and when they make the use the computer
resources, they impoverish and limit their potential.

According to Tapscott, “the new media allows – and the Net Generation require that for its
learning – a change in learning transmitted for what I call an interactive learning” (1999: 135).
If it is thought in a way the information is broadcast today, it clearly glimpses the influence that
this situation exercises in education. The information is not being centralized in schools and
universities, it is disseminated and this provokes and establishes a differential relationship
between teachers and students. The teacher no more plays the role of a transmitter of the
knowledge and a source of all information, likewise the student that no more plays a passive
role of a receiver of the knowledge transmitted by the teacher.

According to Tapcott, there are several new situations that have been provoked in the classroom
by cyberculture:

New media tools offer great promises of a new learning model – based on the
discovery and participation. This combination of a new generation with the new
digital tools will lead to the review of the nature of education – in the context
and content (1999:124).

The digital technology is not autonomous to provoke transformations, but its use puts in place
new questions to the educational system and raises explicit and inumerous inconsistencies. The
 35

growing speed of production and exchange of information and their acquisition through the
multiple ways destabilizes the static model of the press society. Because of this greater
circulation of information, the bilateral (transmitter/receiver) characteristics of the written word,
on which the author and the limit of the text are clearly defined has been overcome. On the
place of the absolute, there has been a multiplicity of points of view.

With the cyberspace, the production of a text or message is collective. In the classroom, the
student does not satisfy him or herself in hearing what the teacher has to say and quietly accept
whatever the teacher has said, as if it was an unquestionable truth. The interactivity is the base
of the new culture, in which the people want to be the users and not only the spectators or
listeners. The students that are born in the Internet era are used to control the greater part of
their world. On the Internet they play the role of an active user, they do not observe but they
participate. It is this space on which the people ask, discuss, buy, play, investigate, imagine,
look for, inform, learn, they are authors and active producers.

The learning on the cyberspace happens through a free search and in environments created
specifically for an educational end, like the Virtual Learning Environments (VLE). In these, the
individuals, even placed on different spaces and time, interact the same virtual learning
environment and have the possibility to build a collective knowledge. This collectivity is
instigated by the enlargement of the communicative potential available on the environment,
promoting the exchange of information under several ways. This technological increase has
been helping in building virtual learning communities and according to Lemos (2003: 93), “is
aggregates around a common interest, regardless the limits, territory and permanent borders”.

On the VLEs, different tools (forum, chat, on board diary) are available so that the teachers and
students can relate and together build knowledge. These tools are an important chracteristic of
these environments, as with them all teacher and students interventions are registered and it is
possible to accept them at any time. In so being, what happen on the environment is registered
facilitating the assistance by the teacher, of the learning process of the student. For the student,
this register is also important so that he or her can review the interventions made by the teacher
and by the colleagues as well as for the student him or herself to follow his learning process.

In this way, the VLE is a space in which it is possible for the teacher and for the student to
develop a new relationship that is not based on the hierarchy on which the teacher is the
centraliser of the know how like what predomains in the face to face traditional teaching
process. In this space, if used on the perspective of the building a collective knowledge, the
 36

teacher and the student are active producers and receivers that interact in search of a cooperative
know how and of the knowledge on the net, becoming in this way partners of the learning
process.

According to Valentini and Fagundes (2001: 110), “in the virtual learning environment the
learner can interact and cope with different individuals, contexts and objects of the knowledge
being able to operate in connectivity in a particular and multiple ways”. With that, this
environment can collaborate in a meaningful way for the transformation of the traditional
education. The digital culture creates a new logcs, not linear, but rhizomelic, founded in
connexion and links, making it impossible the maintenance of the traditional educational
practice. This is exactly the challenge for the schools and unversities to understand the new
logics and know how to work with it.

2.4 About the models of continuous teacher training

This section will have register of the studies about teacher training and professionalization,
theoretical issues of the continuous teacher training with regard to its characteristics, ways of
developing their daily school work and life as well as the discussions about the implications
and contributions that certain practices bring to the current educational context. There will be
two major theoretical models for training and their multifaceted of their existence, regardless
how they are named by some authors (as structural or classics and the constructivist model or
interactive-reflexive).

In this scope, the researcher tries to design the needs for the reflexive teacher training, maping
new tendencies of the teacher continuous training counterpointing with the Classical model and
still drawing some paths to walk on that is based on the systematizations. From such referential
it is possible to discuss the current changes in the continuous teachers training from which relie
the important role in this dynamics and how they can articulate a continuous teacher training
model so that it values the school space and the permanent exercise of the action-reflexion-
action as an essential element to teacher training. The central idea is to upraise a discussion
that is aimed to contributing with the new perspectives of the continuous teachers training in an
attempt of seeking for a professional significant acting.
 37

2.4.1 Theoretical-conceptual framing of the training

The training, as concept and practice, has been assuming varied configurations/forms. As a
concept, it can be identified as an educational concept, when acquired by the organizational
school contexts or when people talk about permanent education and education or training
throughout the life, as it is given some specificity and autonomy in issues related to education,
instruction and teaching. In this second perspective – in which the researcher shares and places
him/herself some authors like Alin (1996) and Fabre (1995), that give to the training, as
concept and practice, a meaning which is relatively distinct and autonomous to what is defined
as education.

What has just been refered here can be shown with the definition of some semantic poles,
presented by Fabre (1995) retaking Pierre Goguelin (1987), that are close and collaborate for
the training conceptualization.

1. The pole to educate: comes from latin étimo (feed, create...) and educere (to make
leave from...). It is a reaching concept that refers to intellectual, moral and physical
development;
2. The pole teaching: from latin insignare (to give mark, a distinction) is close to
vocables to learn, to explain, to demonstrate and to give predominantly operatory or
methodological or institutional meaning. "The teaching is an intentional education that
is carried out in an institution whose goals are explicit, the methods are codified and it
is ensured by professionals" (Fabre, 1995:22);
3. The pole to instruct: from latin instruere (insert, disposal...) appeals to the contents to
transmit, giving to the spirit intellectual instruments, explaining information;
4. The pole to train: comes from latin formare (give a being and the form, organize,
establish). The vocable appeals for a profound and global action of the person:
transformation of the whole being configuring know how, know how to do and know to
be.

Considering the four mentioned semantic poles, there were some approachings among them.
However, each one acquires a specific meaning that characterises and differentiates each from
the others.

It is in this context that it is considered relevant to place the training with the concept and the
practice, which configures itself with a direct approximation to what is defined as education
 38

and instruction, but it must not be misunderstood comceptually: "train is more ontologic than
instruct or educate: in the training, it is the proper being that is looked at and his/her form"
(Fabre, 1995:23).

The training appeals for an enunciation, by the proper subject, of the issues that serve as
consubstantiaters of their project, of their demand, and that do not exclusively belong to the
external objects domain with which they establish the relationship, but mainly to the being
domain, with him/herself and with others, establishing a direct linkage between to be and to do,
to be and to know (Alin, 1996).

Meanwhile, the concept of training like the concept of education, polysemic, being able to be
situated in two relatively distinct poles:

 one, raising the know and know how, valuing the professional and learner
domains as integrated in a complex system of production that require
specialised knowledge and competences in which and for which training is
needed;
 another, emphasizing the dimension of the global development of the subject,
redimensions the know, the know how, in a perspective of integrater
construction of all constitutive dimensions of the learner, privilegiating the self
reflexion and analysis, on a way of a continuous non-structuration-
restructuration of the subject as a multidimensional being.

It can, in this way, be said that the training is crossed by a duality of inspiration: as a
technological paradigm of modelation of the learner or "adaption" to the working post, looking
for an identification of a model and production of accordable copies; or; on the contrary, it is a
biological paradigm that domains and what is being looked for is a suppletive adaptation of a
subject to a reality and change (Fabre, 1995:29).

Since the 60s the adult training problematic has been discussed progressively and worked on
by different authors giving origin to distinct definitions and profoundings. This study will not,
however, be stuck in this wider context of adult training, it will make a brief conceptual
characterization concerning specifically to the continuous teachers training.
 39

In this way, there will be a brief gathering of definitions proposed by several authors,
identification of definitions that will allow to get a referential for analysis of the policies and
practices of the teachers continuous training in Mozambique.

For Esteves and Rodrigues, the continuos training will be

That which takes place throughout the professional career after the acquisition
of the initial professional certification (which only happens after one finishes
the in service training) privilegiating the idea that his or her insertion in the
teacher career is qualitatively differentiated in relation to the initial training,
regardless of the moment and work time the teacher has when he or she did her
professionalization which we still consider as a stage of the initial training
(1993:44-45).

In this case, the continuous training is sequential to the initial training, acquiring the statute
"qualitatively differenciated" in relation to that.

Also João Formosinho defends that the continuous training is sequential to the initial training,
and clearly distinct from this, arguing that "the concept of the continuous training distinguishes
itself mainly from the initial training not on the contents or methodologies of training but by
the receivers", being

Offered to people who are seen as adults, with teaching experience, that
influences the contents and the methodologies of this training by the opposition
to the initial training generally offered to youth without teaching experience
(1991:237).

In summary, this author defines the teacher continuous traning as

Teachers training with a professional initial training aimed to upgrading their

personal and professional skills. The continuous training is aimed to upgrading
the knowledge, the techniques, the necessary attitudes for the exercising the
teacher profession (Idem, ibidem).

In the scientific literature, however, it is possible to find other designations such as: in service
profissionalization, team development, permanent education, professional development,
teacher development, in service teacher instruction. In these designations it is possible to
distinguish some semantic sets: instruction-education-development, teachers-team, in service-
 40

continuous that lead to different training orientations. If, on one hand, the notion of "training"
points to an achievement of tasks of the instruction to be developed by the teachers so that their
students learn in a classroom context, that is, the upgrading of the teacher´s professional
competences (scientific and pedagogical), the notions of "education" and "development" give
an idea of a more global teacher training (trying to developing the personal competences). This
last one articulates with the extension and diversification perspectives of roles that are expected
from the teacher to play on the school institution frame and educational system, framing him or
herself in the proper evolution of the school concept to the educational centre.

The concept of "development" or of the "team development" can, however, be considered, as

outlines Howey (1985) cited by Esteves and Rodrigues (1993:46) in a literature review, as
embodying a set of dimensions such as: continuous pedagogic development; development and
continuous self discovery; continuous cognitive development; continuous theoretical
development; continuous professional development; career continuous development.

In this way, the continuous training conceived as empowering the "development" can, as it can
be seen, point to distinct perspectives.

The researcher considers, meanwhile, in summary, enhances that the continuous training which
is conceived as"practice/preparation" to carry out instruction tasks – oriented to specific
competences -, as considered in a perspective of "development" has implicit that

The improvement on the teachers has obvious individual endings that are also
of social usefulness. The continuous training has as endings the social and
personal improvement of each teacher, in a permanent educational perspective.
But such improvement has some positive effect in the school system if it is
translated into the improvement of quality of education offered to children.
This positive effect that explains the current western world worries with the
continuous teacher training (Formosinho, 1991:238).

Although the social usefulness of the training is of the fundamental importance and safe motor
of political commitment and consequent juridical regulamentation- as presented in the previous
point – not always one can be sure that the positive consequences of a policy of the continuous
training can be ensured, all the more since such evaluation is deprived of complexity.
 41

2.4.2 Training Models: A contribution for practice analyses

The reference to the models or paradigms of the training finds justification on the need that the
researcher feels to integrate both the analysis of the emergent practices of training in so far as a
reflexion – as a structuring dimension of the practices and professional development – on a
theoretical frame of reference.

In the same way, whether the modalities of operation of the continuous training, whether the
conceptual framing that has just been enunciated suggest a definition of referent
contextualizers that are more reaching.

Basically, there can be identified three models of reference for the training practices that have
inherent distinct rationalities and conceptions of the learning and training processes.

The transmissive model – orientated to the acquisition and distant of the subjectivity of the
subjects – confers to objectivity and to the external reality the total autonomy and
independence on the subjects.

The technical and instrumental rationalities dynamize the training practices orientating them to
the externity of the subjects, that is, to the objects that these must recognize and manipulate
instrumentally. They invest in the universality of the operated objects on the space-time of the
training and on the neutrality of the implicated subjects.

The other model, relatively distant from the previous one, is experiential, centred on the
process (Ferry, 1991), through which is subjacent a practical reality (Kemmis, 1989), which
values the subjects and their experiences. These are constructed in the interaction with the
environment - social, cultural, physical, etc. – and must be linear in a comprehensive and
interpretative dimension. The training practices orientate for the interimistic of the subjects in
training.

The model centred on the analysis (Ferry, 1991) is led by a critical and emancipating
rationality (Habermas, 1990; Kemmis, 1989; Mezirow, 1996) and privilleges, as the proper
names suggests, the capacity of analysis that the training process must favour, being given to
the learners "a training in analysis and an analysis of their training" (Ferry 1991:80).

This model values the scientific dimension of the knowledge in its interaction with their
operating practice, as well as the analysis of the practice through the theoretical referentials for
 42

its evaluation and restructuring. The training practices centred on the analysis foment on the
subjects the reflexion and analysis of themselves and on their contextualized practices with the
objective of their progressive and commited emancipation, encouraging the dimension of the
social agentes (Lesne, 1977) transformers.

Close to this model is that of Perrenoud who called it "open professionalism", which

Situates the teacher in the centre of the process of the improvement of quality
in education. The teachers, individually or in groups, are considered
responsible for the analysis of the school needs [...], are considered as
innovative leaders that are able of the self improvement, able to analyse their
actions, identify and react to the students needs, able to analyse the outcomes
of their interventions (Vonk, cited by Perrenoud, 1993:182).

2.4.3 Brief reflexion around the emerging practices

The speech about "post-modernity" is found on the scientific, cultural and educational agenda.
In the social sciences and mainly in the educational sciences there has been a profound study
on the characteristics of 'our time' that seem to present significant turnings with are different
from those that characterize the so-called "modernism".

In the modern period of the sciences, the scientific speech can be built assuming theories,
models, paradigms that find a "relative stability" on the time and space. Certainly, the stability
that in the past could be experimented, keeping itself for a resonable duration, was put upon the
account of the atomic bomb and its capacity of the massive destruction.

The stability and safety that emerges from these circumstances lead to an equationing different
from reality, with impact on the production of knowledge. The same way, the emergency of
different movements like the greenpeace, the feminism, together with other sociocultural
phenomena like multiculturalism, the classism introduced "structural discontinuities" (Beare &
Slaughter 1995:5) that oppose to characteristics of the modern period and generate impact on
the production and sharing of knowledge.

Coulby and Jones (1995) refer that these movements and sociocultural phenomena namely the
feminism, the multiculturalism and the classism, introduce different perspectives in the way of
conceiving and analysing knowledge, giving a different dimension to the world phenomena.
These phenomena end up revitalizing universal postulates, showing that there is not any system
 43

that is superior to the other, that the individual is more important than the group, that the
diversity is good, ending up by putting upon accounts of "models" that hinder and corset the
emergency and the singularity of the subjects and the contexts.

The diversity and the unpredictability are on the social, cultural, economical and educational
agenda, generating some instability that needs to be assumed. These are, of course, the
characteristics of post modernity that this will have to host and manage, which rebound into
educational level in a speech that occurs more:

 on an innovation;
 on the autonomy;
 on the continuous training and shared reflexion;
 on the exercise of fellowship;
 on the research-action;
 on the project construction that give voice to the local identity;
 on the curriculum differentiation;
 on the alternative curriculum.

These strategies seem to be indicators of the need for openess and integration of the realities, at
the same time, singular and multiforms, opening room for dialogue with the diversity that the
democratization of education and mass schools could not solve.

Summing up, and according to Gimeno Sacristán (1998), "the new legitimities make the
teachers relax with regard to quality of education", being up to them "generate" the models in
their practices.

From here lays the great demand for a continuous training, from the researcher´s point of view,
there has to be the provision of new and more profound knowledge and also the sharing of
experiences, reflexive dynamics and construction of knowledge so that the management of the
autonomy and freedom takes place "with science and consciousness" (Morin, 1982).
 44

2.4.4 The reflexion as a structuring dimension of teacher practices and

professional development

The valorization as a powering exercise of the professional practices, personal and professional
development have been deserving an attention, an investigation and a theoretical profounding
from many researchers, especially throughout the last two decades.

Yet the investigations held are not restricted exclusively to the teachers as a professional group,
it is in this group that, with no doubt, that centers the greater number of studies and
publications about this matter.

The greater number of investigations held and published work is an indicator, yet it is not the
only one, gives importance that the reflexion has in the professional practice, in the
construction of knowledge, in the structuring of professional identities and on the professional
development, on the social and cultural construction.

The importance given to"training throughout life" and, namely, the continuous teacher training
justifies itself through the characteristics of the post modern society that demand for new
requirements of the knowledge, know how and above all to know how to make them
professionals.

It is in this context that Schön refers that the model of the applied sciences shows itself
incomplete to explain (the) competence(s) practice(s) in diverging situations and in this way he
proposes:

Let us then look for their place an epistemology for the professional acting that
is implicit in the artist and intuitive process and that some practicals make their
interventions towards the situations of uncertainty, instability, singularity and
value conflicts (1996:205).

In fact, these situations that, at great measure, characterize the current contexts, namely: the
educational contexts, as much as at pedagogical level as at organizational level, are
incompatible with exclusive operation of a technical rationality, instrumental, objectival,
external and neuter towards the subjects and the contexts.

The uncertainty invaded the scientific postulates, the models, the paradigms ending up flowing
on the scientific field some instability. The transmission of knowledge – the role played by the
 45

teachers relying on the behaviourism – has been put upon account progressively, giving space
to the construction of knowledge, on the educational models as on the training.

The "movement of reflexive practice" (Zeichner, 1993) emerges from these circumstances, as
well as the need to train for the construction and production of knowledge.

Tavares states:

It is within these conceptions of training and competences that need to be

acquired so that one becomes a good professional, that the people build,
produce scientific and pedagogic knowledge. The training goes through this
construction, in which are involved the investigation activities, of teaching and
of the proper personal and social development of the respective actors and
actors of the process. (...) It is through this construction, taking place along the
process of training, that must rely a balanced and solid personal development
as founding and founder competence of all other competences to which they
overlap and it is the condition sine qua non so that all happens and there is a
guarantee of a training of a good educational professional (1997:66).

The legal devices define as objectives of the continuous teacher training "the complement, the
deepening and the updating of knowledge and professional competences..." and " improve the
professional competence (...) acquire new competences related to the required specialization by
differentiation and modernization of the educational system..." point, the researcher thinks in
this way, for dynamization of the training practices that lays on the fundamental analytical,
critical, reflexive and practical conceptions.

Considering that "The professional development" is not only structured on the domain of
knowledge, but also on teacher attitudes, interpersonal relationships, competences related to
the pedagogic process among others, the teachers will have to mobilise their practices not only
on specific knowledge of the subjects they teach, but a set of other competences that compete
for the success of those practices and, consequently for their development, self and personal
realization.

According to Oliveira, the professional development “is reported on a more specific form to the
domain of knowledge about teaching, the personal interrelationships, the involved competences in the
pedagogic process and to the reflexive process about the teacher´s practices” (1997:95)
 46

Involving for that, three fundamental dimensions: that of knowledge (specific knowledge), that
of know how (professional achievement, attitudes towards the educational act) and that of
knowing how to be and know to become (interpersonal relationships, self perception,
motivation, expectactions).

The researcher thinks, in this way, to get a path to the conceptions of the training that value not
only the acquisition of knowledge but above all, the development of competences and in this
way, the professional development.

These competences yet to develop belong to three domains – according to the dimensions
above mentioned - (Tavares, 1997):

 specific competences: imply the scientific knowledge and the domain of

contents which are related with the topics of a certain speciality;
 pedagogic competences: that refer to operational knowledge (know how) the
knowledge taking into account the receivers, the students, the contexts, the
resources, selected methodologies and strategies that are more suitable;
 personal competences: directly related to the teacher intra and interpersonal
development, with the know to be, know to relate, know to communicate, know
to share on a personal development perspective.

The acknowledgement of these dimensions as structuring of the professional development

appeals not only for a configuration of training as a space-time nor mainly the transmission of
knowledge, but also of reflexion about action and analysis on a logic of distructuring-
restructuring and construction of knowledge, that rehabilitation "an epistemology of practice"
(Schön, 1996), or of "knowledge" as Edgar Morin understands: i) information; ii) analysis and
contextualization of information; iii) intelligence, consciousness or wisdom, explicating that:

Intelligence has to do with the art of entailling knowledge so that it is useful

and pertinent, that is, to produce new forms of progress and development,
conciousness and wisdom involve reflexion, that is, the capacity to produce
new forms of existence, of humanization (cited by Pimenta 1996:78).

It is in this way that the researcher finds pertinent to orientate the practices of the continuous
teachers training that must integrate not only the technical rationality but also the critical and
practical rationality that will allow the learners - the teachers – their continuous updating, not
 47

exclusively on the acquisition perspective (of knowledge, of qualifications), but mainly the
personal and professional development. The dimension of development is built through sharing
of experiences and of the intercommunicative analysis that will build and is built by reflexion
(Schön, 1983):

 on the action, when each teacher is able to reflect on the practice;

 about action, when teachers individually and in groups reflect about their
practices;
 about reflexion on the action, when the teachers through the analysis of their
practices redesign, restructure and suit the contexts of the realization.

Considering that this dimension finds a context of development particularly favourable in a

training that potentiates and articulates an action with investigation, as the action research
assumes a privilleged role on the teacher professional development mobilizing a cooperative
reflexion (Gimeno Sacristán & Pérez Gómez, 1993).

The legal frame that regulates the continuous teacher training in Mozambique predicts several
models for their realization: courses, modulles, seminars, training workshops, projects, study
circles.

However, the continuous teacher training practices, has been privilleged by the courses, the
modulles and the seminars with which lays the methodology that is supported by an techno-
instrumental rationality, fundamentally orientated for the externality of the training subjects. In
this training models, the role and the power of the trainer is rendered in detriment of
participation, critical and reflexive analysis of the teachers being trained, falling upon on the
teachers individual worries – considered as objects of the training (Lesne, 1977) – to be able to
have a set of competences and credits that allow the career progression.

There are then identified other models like the training workshops, projects and study circles
which have mobilization and teacher initiatives from their working contexts. Privillegiating
initiative, experiential knowledge, the contextual characteristics in which the teacher´s practice
develops these models are empowere of synergie that articulate the non formal knowledge,
experiential with the formal knowledge (Usher & Bryant, 1992), within the interactive logics in
which the action, investigation and training are present.
 48

In this way, from the researcher´s point of view, these training models are the ones, which can
best contribute for the reflexive dynamics as they emerge from the teachers formative
dispositions generated by the working contexts. The formal training program, previously
conceived and in most cases finalised (characteristic of courses and training models), gives
room to the construction of the training devices (Correia, 1992), based on the needs analysis of
the training (Idem, 1989), in which there is a critical rationality.

In these models, it is expected that the space-time of the training puts on with space-time of
work finding way through the daily formative effects (Pain, 1990), the knowledge on the
action and reflexion about knowledge on the action (Schön, 1983), that is, rehabilitates an
epistemology of the professional action (Idem, 1996).

These models, in privilleging the teachers as actors and authors of the training process, are the
dynamic generators of the formativity (Correia, 1992) falling upon on the subjects interiority,
in their professional experiences and on the capacity to communicate intersubjectively about
them with the objective of constituting on the place of consuming knowledge, very often
abstract and distant from the concrete operating.

This capacity of elaboration and construction is claimed by the singularity of the situations
contextualized locally, that the teachers experiment on their daily professionalism and as such,
must be potentiated not only on the initial training as on the continuous teacher training.
 49

Chapter 3

3.1 Analysis of the learning theories of the distance education

The theories on the distance education domain are fundamental the same way they are in any
domain because beside the credibility they offer and the acknowlerdgement in the field that it
reports itself they are also important in the development of the practices and research. Through
the theories the variables and their relationships can be identified, which allows the researcher
find an orientation of his or her investigation. According to Garrison (2002), theory is coherent
and systematic ordering of ideas, concepts and models with the purpose of constructing
meaning to explain, interpret and shape practice. It is in this way that the compared data
analysis reflect not only the state of the situation of the theorectical production of the distance
education but also the tendencies of each historical period.

In these last decades there have been several theories suggested in an attempt of covering all
activities of the distance education. Among them we can distinguish the notable contributions
from Otto Peters, Michael Moore, Borje Holmberg, Demond Keegan, D. R. Garrison, John
Verduin and Thomas Clark. However, these theories differ or do not overlap in many aspects
namely, on the way they approach the role of the three elements of the learning/teaching
process. Furthermore, they try to give a brief image of the main ideas stated by these authors.

Otto Peters compares distance Education as a process of the industrial production, trying to
identify the mutual characteristics such as: labour division, the mechanization, quality
production, the normalization and centralization, in which its survival is ensured by its
compatibility. The distance education is an educational option with sucess in a way it is
compatible with the organization, principles and values of the industrial society. Years later,
Peters follows the same line of thought in describing the way in which distance education must
adapt itself to the changes of the industrial society, evolving according to the tendencies of the
new post industrial era; the emergency of the more individualized technologies; more
decentralized decision making and new values related to the quality of life, self realization, self
expression and interdependence, this author predicted also changes that this way of teaching
will experience to adapt itself to the evolution of the society.

 The distance education is a product of the industrialized society;

 The distance education must adapt itself to the changes of the industrial
society;
 50

 The distance education evolves according to the newpost industrial era.

For Michael Moore, the learning and teaching theory used to be independent in which there are
two important slopes, the transational distance and the learner’s autonomy, relying more on the
importance of the learners needs and with a clear emphasis on the independent study,
autonomy. This theory is made up of two dimensions, the transational distance and the
learner’s autonomy. For Moore the transational distance is a function of two variables:
dialogue and structure, underlining the learner’s autonomy, that goes to the mister whenever
necessary, who has a success as when higher is the his/her autonomous capacity, that is the
maturation factor. The dialogue is related to the communication capacity between the mister
and the learner whereas the structure is a response measure of a program to the needs of the
individual learner. Moore considers that the autonomy appears as a consequence of the
maturation process of the individual and that the distance education programmes, because of
their structure, require learners with autonomous behaviour so that they are able to finish with
success the such programs. Moore´s notions about dialogue quantity, structure and learner’s
autonomy contributed for the forthcoming of the subsequent theoretical contributions.

 Existence of transational distance;

 The transational distance depends on:
 The dialogue among the mister and the learner;
 The structure, that is, the learning/teaching program taking into account
the learner;
 The existance of the learner’s autonomy.

The theory of guided didactical conversation lays on the concept of the guided didactical
conversation. The motivation for learning is based on the establishment of the personal
relationship with the student. Borje Holmberg defends that the teacher-student is fundamental
for motivation and that the distance education serves as a complement to that pre-requisit. The
student’s autonomy in relation to the instructor/institution is one of the goals of the distance
education (like Moore, the autonomous study). The Holmberg’s theory centers its analysis on
the interpersonalization of the distance education process, taking place through non continuous
means of communication, whereby there is a guided didactical conversation, having the student
(learner) a greater autonomy, proposing as a goal the total learner autonomy in the promotion
of his or her learning. The different communication processes (a loud thought, silent reading
and guided text processing) aplied in the creation of printed pedagogical materials allow
 51

getting greater success in learning because it respects the different student learning rhythms
and this is an individual interior learner process.

 Existence of the interpersonalization of the teaching process;

 Existence of a personal relationship among the mister and the learner so that
there is motivation and consequent learning;
 Existence of the learner autonomy;
 Creation of an open system adapted to the individual learner rythm.

Demond Keegan believes that the theoretical basis for the distance education can be found in
the general theories of education, if aspects related to oral or group communications excluded.
For him, learning and teaching are separated on the time and place, but it ends up being
recreated artificially in the moment it occurs, that is why it is important the relationship
between the learning materials and the learning itself. Keegan considers that the distance
education is not an interpersonal communication but a communication through the separation
of time and place between the teacher and the student. The interpersonal communication is
viewed as fundamental at the same time the use of the written materials is. The
intersubjectivity that is present in the relationship between the mister and the learner has to be
recreated artifitially so that the learning takes place. The influence of the learning relationship
is present in the traditional school, as the learner is put in an environment, which is suitable to
the learning support. Keegan thinks that for a student to partiicipates in the distance education
programmes he or she needs to establish a linkage between the learning and the teaching
processes through a deliberate recreated interpersonal communication. The interpersonal
communication theme is similar to Holmberg thought even though he applied it directly to the
teaching process whereas Keegan applies it in the learning process. The same way like
Holmberg, Keegan also considers that the printed didactical materials must have most of the
characteristics of the interpersonal communication, which must not be limited only to the
telephone tutoring and tele-conference or similar ways. This is a fundamental process so that
the distance education programmes are successful to the students, originating lower desertion
indexes and better learning quality and higher status of the institution.

 Existence of a separation between the teaching act and the learning act;
 Learning taking place when the intersubjectivity present in the relationship
between the learner and the mister is created artificially;
 Importance of the pedagogical materials in the learning process;
 52

 Creation of a link between the teaching and learning processes through the
interpersonal communication.

For Garrison, the distance education has been evolving due to the growing sophistication of
technology and centers its importance also on the control of learning by the student in which
the concepts like independence and autonomy are crucial besides defending the educational
transation. The starting point for this theory is the educational transation between the learner
and the mister and this theory relays on the “seek for the understanding and knowledge through
debate and dialogue”, needing the establishment of a bidirectional among the learner and the
mister, sees the result of the objectives of the relationship between the teacher and the student
that is only possible through the dialogue or debate of ideias. The success will only be seen
from the capacities of the students to be independent and to auto learn, and of the support that
will be given to him or her in technical and documental terms and even from the mister
himself, in the relationship with the student. Different from Moore and Holmberg, that
characterise the learning as an internal individual process on the learner, Garrison, considers
that the learning process requires interaction with the mister, arguing that if the mister and the
learner are separated, it is necessary to provide them with the bidirectional communication
means, using technologies to give support to the educational process. So the technology is one
of the three factors that are considered by Garrison in his definition of the distance education.
Garrison argues that the distance education is inseparable from technology, constituting this as
a susteinable basis to evolution and development. The other implicit notion in Garrison is the
concept of the learner autonomy, who tris to replace the concepts of independence and
autonomy used by Moore and Holmberg. Garrison defines is as “an opportunity and the
capacity to influence and lead certain events. The control within an educational environment
can not be established only by one of the parts because the flow of the events lays on a
collaborative platform. Garrison proposes that the control must be based on the inter-
relationship (self learning), proficiency (capacity to face the self learning) and support
(available resources to oriente and facilitate the educational process) corporized on the
relationship between the mister, the learner and the contents.

 Existence of a bidirectional communication among the instructor and the student

so that the interaction takes place;
 The distance education is inseparable from the technology.
 53

The theoretical Model that contemplates more the adult education summoned by Moore and
Garrison how they prorogate the practice of the distance education. Their theory lays in the
concepts of dialogue, structure and learning autonomy proposed by Moore as well as on the
attributes of the bidirectional communication and the separation mister-learner proposed by
Keegan. The theoretical basis proposed by Moore is somehow amplified in John Verduin and
Thomas Clark, defining three specific theoretical dimensions:

1st dimension: Dialogue/Support – they consider that the principal fundament of the
dialogue is the support to the student that can vary from simple instructions related to
realization of certain tasks to a more profound structure, having a strong component of
motivation for the student.

2nd Dimension: Structure/Specialization – For these authors, the concept of structure is

inseparable from the concept of competence or specialization. They refer that the degree of
competence in a certain area, specialization, can occur in a situation of a conventional teaching,
like the distance education, resulting mainly from the learner´s experience that is the function
of the degree of the content structuring.

3rd Dimension: Competence/Autonomy – The authors start from Moore´s point of view
about the learner´s autonomy, extrapolating it to situations in which the learner is within an
environment of self - learning.

Verdium and Clark put their tonic not only in the concepts of dialogue, structure and learning
autonomy, as well as on the bidirectional communication and the separation between the
teacher and the student. They enhance the dimension of the dialogue as support, the
structure/specialization in which to reach the specialized competence requires materials
structuring and lastly the competence and autonomy in which the second aspect is considered
essential for qualification of a certain competence.

 Existence of a dialogue/support on the mister

 Existence of a structure/specialization of the learning/teaching process
 Existence of some competence/autonomy of the leaner
 54

The table 3.1 that follows compares six presented theoretical perspectives, in terms of central
concepts associated to them, the major impacts and apparent factors that determine their
apparition.

Table 3.1: Comparative table of the presented theoretical perspectives

AUTHOR THEORIES CENTRAL CONCEPTS MAJOR IMPACT INFLUENCE

Industrialization Industrial Society Principles and social
Peters Cultural Sociology
Theory Post-Industrial Society values
Theory of the
Transational
Moore Transational distance Learner Needs Independent Study
Distance and
Learner Autonomy
Promotion of
Learner Autonomy Learning through
Theory of the Humanistic
Distance Communication personal and
Holmberg Didactical Guided anística tendency of
Didactical Guided conventional
Conversation Education
Communication methods

Recreation of
Theory of the Inter-Personal
Reintegration of the Reintegration of components present
Keegan Traditional Pedagogy
learning/teaching learning/teaching Acts on a face-to-face
Acts teaching

Communication Educational Transation. Communication Theory

Facilitation of the
Garrison Theory and learner Learner Control. and Principles of Adult
Educational transation
control Communication Education
Verduin Dialogue/Supporte Principles of Adult
Theory of Requisits of the tasks
e Structure/Specialization Education
Tridimensionality and of the learners
Clark Competence/self learning Knowledge Structure

Keegan worked up a study (Keegan, 1991) where he sums up some elements that he considers
central for conceiving distance education:

 physical separation between teacher and the student, factor that distinguishes the
face to face teaching;
 educational organization influence (planning, plan, project, guided
organization), factor that distinguishes individual education;
 use of technical communication means, usually printed, to unite the teacher and
the students and give educational contents;
 possibility of the existence of communication means bidirectional that enable
dialogue and interactivity;
 possibility of occasional meetings with didactic goals and socialization;
 55

 Individualized way of education.

3.2 Concept and characterization of the Distance Education

To introduce the theme on distance education, it is important first to define the face to face
teaching. The face-to-face teaching is within the traditional education model and represents the
typical face-to-face teaching that takes place in the classroom. The teacher and the students are
physically on the same place, in an hour previously stated, for the realization of a lesson (Lima
& Capitão, 2003).

Aretio (1994) identifies the major characteristics of the face-to-face teaching as being that:

 the students and the teachers limited by the geographical situations and
timetable, are physically present;
 Passive learning by the students;
 Excessive use of paper;
 The teaching manuals get to the teaching institutions very often while they are
oldated;
 The libraries with lack of resources in relation to the number of students and the
existing information about a certain issue.

According to Nunes (2001) there exist concepts that by their short maturity or dependence on
the others, take time to identify themselves with their own characteristics. It was like this in the
distance education. First there was the conceiving, for being very simple and direct that would
not be the distance education. Only from the 70s and 80s it was seen as what it was, that is,
from the characteristics that determine or by their constructive elements. It was from the 80s
that there has been an effort from the researchers in an attempt of conceiving a suitable distance
education, aimed to defining it on the theorectical field (Bastos, 2003). Underneath follow some
notions about the concept of the distance education.

Aretio (1994) defines Distance Education as a technological system of bidirectional

communication that can be massive and that replaces the personal interaction, in the classroom,
of the teacher and student, as a teaching preferential mean, by the systematic and combined
action of different didactical resources and by an organization and tutoring that provides a
flexible and independent learners´ learning.
 56

According to Rurato and Gouveia (2005), the distance education takes place when the teacher
and the students are separated (on the time and place). The direction that the concept takes
today, gives emphasis to the distance in the space: use of telecommunication technology and
data transmission, voice (sounds) and images (including the dynamics, that is, television or
video).

Moore and Kearsly (1996) define distance education as a planned learning, that normally takes
place by the separation between the teacher and the student and for that there are special
techniques of course design, of instructional planning, special communication methods, via
electronics or through other technologies as well as a special administrative organization.

According to Lima and Capitão (2003) the distance education is an educational model that
allows learning with no space and time limits; this scenary presupposes the geographical or
temporal separation among the teacher and the student, use of technologies (except
correspondence courses) with basis to the control and educational learning process by the
student.

From the different definitions presented, there are some relevant aspects that can be mentioned:

 Transformation of the traditional relationship teacher/student that takes place in

the classroom;
 Interface among the participants of the teaching/learning process, that takes place
through technological means, overcoming the space and time bias;
 Modifications of the teacher´s role, transforming the teacher into a learning
facilitator;
 Wider coverage in terms of number of the students, be it by the geographical
reaching.
Attempting to focus on the principal aspects, Rurato and Gouveia (2005) defines the following
characteristics for the distance education:

 Openess – diversity and amplitude of the courses offer, with elimination of

access bias serving a huge number and spread population, with different levels
and learning styles;
 Flexibility – of space, of assistance and time, the learning rithms, with distinct
formative itineraries that allow different entries and exits and the combination
work/study/family;
 57

 Efficacy – the individual is motivated to become a subject of his/her learning,

use what he or she is learning, evaluate him or herself and for all this, he or she
will need to get administrative, cognitive and pedagogical support through the
integration of the bi-directional communication means;
 Permanent Training – in the professional field, there is a greater pursuit for the
continuity of the formal education and, consequently, acquisition of new values,
interests, attitudes and knowledge;
 Economy – avoids the movement and absence on the working place;
 Standardization – avoids the transmission of knowledge in a diversified way.

Besides these particularities, there are several acting areas identified within the distance
education which, include from the conventional teaching to complementary teaching, to
professional teaching, to the preparation and training of trainers or training of individuals or
isolated groups with specific needs. As Santos (2002) defends on a current and global
perspective, the distance education presents itself more as an alternative than as a complement
to the traditional methods of the face-to-face teaching.

For the sake of this study, based on the referential above cited and seeking for an outlining of
several concepts presented, there will be the following distance education concept adopted:

• It is a way of teaching, implemented by an educational organization, in which the

teachers and the students are physically separated, needing the mediation of some
sort of technology for establishing communication among them.

3.2.1 Components of a distance Education System

For a better understanding of the functioning of the distance education, underneath follows a
model where the main components of a distance education system are related.

Teacher Student
Supports

Technical Pedagogic/Didactical
Supports supports
Figure 3.1: Distance Education System. Adapted from Endis (1997)
 58

In this figure it is important to say that the student is the principal element of the distance
education system. So, all must be done to meet his or her needs. According to Landin (1997)
here are the main characteristics of a student from a distance education system:

 Be of different ages;
 Have different qualification levels;
 Study at home or in any other place;
 Be an adult and worker;
 Have as a secondary the education.

Although the distance education has several potencialities, not all have a suitable profile to this
type of teaching. The student must know what he wants, to be able to be motivated for the
course he or she wants to take, and the desire to be successful on the distance education. The
teacher guides the student, which has a more active role in the training (Web School, 2002).

Teacher – the success of the diatance education depends mostly on the teacher that must have
new competences to ensure the distance educator role, among others (Landin, 1997):

 Understand the nature and the philosophy of the distance education;

 Adapt the teaching strategies to give instructions at distance;
 Maintain him/herself updated on the use and knowledge of the new
communicating models;
 Involve him/herself on the organization, planning and decisions;
 Evaluate the attitudes and the perceptions of the students at distance.

Support Services – most of the initiatives that a very successful on the distance education basis
involve a series of pedagogical and technical support services that include aspects like operation
and maintenance of equipments, configuration of software, including also the creation of the
didactical material, on the programming aspects, visual project and pedagogic conception,
enrollment, logistics, material distribution, acquisition of the didactical material, control of the
author´s rights and marks processing, among others (Bastos, 2003).

3.2.2 Models and technologies used

In the Distance Education, there are two models for training (Testa, 2001):
 59

 Sync Model – training component in a real time that promotes the interaction
through voice, image and data, among teachers and students in a “virtual
classroom”, regardless where they are;
 Assync Model – training component with no possibility for interaction in a real
time that provides access to the contents in their multiple supports in an
individualized way. In these cases, if there is interaction between teachers and
students, this takes place in a recored form through e-mail or discussion forums.

To learn and teach using distance education as a methodology, there are two forms of
communication identified namely (Testa, 2001):

 Unidirectional Communication – paper content, study guides, books, radio,

television, cassettes, are some of the examples;
 Bidirectional Communication – correspondence in paper, telephone,
audioconference, are some of the examples. The bilateral communication has as
a major objective to keep the highest degree of motivation on the student,
facilitate the learner´s learning, inform pedagogic and technically the student and
endow the learner with cognitive capacities that are suitable to the learner´s study
progression.

One of the core factors of a distance education system is the choice of support technologies and
the way that these technologies are allocated. The curriculum contents are normally distributed
to the students in different formats such as, texts, video, audio, informatics and video
conference.

The table 3.2 illustrates a summary of the main services, which are currently available for the
Distance Education.
 60

Table 3.2: Main services available for the Distance Education. Adapted from Santos (2000)

Interaction Audio Data Video

Only one Tape Cassettes, Teaching Video Cassettes

way Radio, observed video, TV, DVD,
E-mail,
Forum,
newsgroup, Messages with
Voicemail,
Two ways mailing list, videos, pages
pages Web with
(assync) Transference Web with
recorded audio.
of the file recorded video
(FTP), pages
web.

Telephone,
audio IRC/Chat,
Videotelephoning,
Two ways conference, sharing of
videoconference,
(sync) voice over IP multimedia
Video in real time
(VOIP), audio applications
in a real time

For the purpose of this study and taking into consideration the table 3.2, the videotelephone and
videoconference are components of special interest for the organization of online sessions. The
interaction teacher – student will be ensured through e-mail, discussion forum, newsgroup,
mailing list, file transference (FTP), web pages as well as via Internet relay chat.

3.2.3 Advantages and limitations of distance education

According to Aretio (1994) the Distance Education has the advantages that follow:

 Openess – elimination or reduction of access bias to the courses or study levels;

diversification and increase of course offer; training opportunities adapted to the
current demands, to the people that could not attend the traditional school;
 Flexibility – lack of strictness to space requirements (where to study?), time and
lesson observation (when to study?) and rithym (at what learning speed?); good
combination of study and work; learner kept in his or her professional, cultural
and familiar; training outside the classroom context;
 Permanent staff training – assistance to the demand and aspirations of different
groups, through formative activities or not; active learner: developmment of
innitiatives, of attitudes, interests, values and educational habits; training for
work and overcoming of the cultural level of each student;
 61

 Efficacy – student; center of the learning process and the active subject of the
training sees his or her learning rithym respected; practical-theoretical training,
related to the student´s experience, in an immediate contact with the professional
activity, which is willed to be improved; instructional contents designed by
specialists and the use of multimedia resourses; frequent bidirectional
communication, ensuring a dynamic and innovative learning;
 Economy – reduction of costs in relation to face to face learning system, by
eliminating small groups, by avoiding expenditure of students´ movement from
place to place and by avoiding the absence at working place for extra training
time, by allowing scale economy, the scale economy overcomes the high initial
costs.

Yet and according to Aretio (1994) there are some limitations for Distance Education:

 Limitations in reaching the socialization objective due to lack of interaction

between the teacher and the student and among the students themselves;
 Limitations in reaching objectives in the affective/attitude areas as well as the
objectives related to the psychomotor area because this can only happen if there
is a possibility for a previously established face to face moment for the
supervised development of the manipulating skills;
 Empoverishment of a direct experience exchange provided by the personal
educational relationship between the teacher and the student;
 The feedback and correction of the possible mistakes may be slower although the
new technological means reduce these inconveniences;
 Need for a long term strict planning with the disadvantages that may arise even
with the advantage of a rethinking and reflexion;
 Danger of homogeneity of the instructional materials – all learn the same, by the
only one instructional package, matched with a few opportunities for dialogue
between the teacher and the student – can be avoided and overcome by the
design of materials that promote spontaneousness, creativity and student´s ideas
expression;
 Except face to face evaluation activities, the results of distance evaluation are
less fiable that the face to face results, considering the opportunities of copy or
fraud, although these facts can also occur on a face to face model;
 62

 Initial costs are very high for the implementation of distance courses that dilute
throughout their application, although there is no doubt in relation to its
economy.

However, according to Lobo Neto (2000) the distance education is today an increasing
democratic strategy of access to the quality of education, citizen right and society and state
duty.

3.3 Historical Evolution of Distance Education

Nunes (2001) states that the starting point of the distance education are the letters written at the
beginning of the christian era aimed to disseminate the good news of the Lord, evolving for the
invention of the press by Guttemberg, maybe the greater starting point for the dissemination of
the written word, as beforehand, all books were copied manually requiring time and money.

Yet, according to Nunes the written messages were part of the first strategy of establishment of
a personalized communication when the distance did not allow the interlocutors to meet. From
the beginning of the XX century up to the second world war, several experiences were adapted,
occassion in which the applied methodologies to the teaching by correspondence better
developed, and later on, were heavily influenced by the introduction of the new means of mass
communication such as radio that originated very important projects.

The distance education has existed since the end of the XVIII century, with greater evolution
since the end of the XIX century when the first correspondence course was created by Sir Isaac
Pitman, Correspondence College – United Kingdom (Andrade, 2000). The greater step was
given from the middle 60s, with the institutionalization of several actions in the fields of
secondary and higher education, starting in Europe (France and England) expanding to other
continents. The need for an efficient communication system between the teacher and the student
implied the establishment of a direct relationship between the development of the distance
education and the advances taking place in the telecommuniacations, in the informatics, of the
multimedia and of the Internet (Moore & Kearsley, 1996). The technologies used increased in
number, complexity and potentiality, creating new models of distance education (Lima &
Capitão 2003).

Taylor (2001) cited by Luzzi (2007) identified four generations of the history of the distance
education: the “correspondence model”, the “multimedia model”, the “tele-learning model” and
 63

the “flexible learning model”, and points that there is the fifth model that is configured: the
“intelligent and flexible learning model”.

The first generation, called “model by correspondence”, on which are identified the first
demonstrations of this study model, based mainly on the production and distribution of the
printed educational materials, given to the student by the post. A model of higher study
flexibility, considering time, space and rithym of study of each person, but with the lack of or
null communication among the teachers and the students.

The second generation called “multimedia model”, adds the printed materials to other
technologies like, for example: audio and video that improve the presentation of the contents. A
model with higher flexibility but with lack or no interactivity.

In the third generation, there is a “tele-learning model”, incorporating the technological

resources like audio conference, videoconference and the audiographic transmission, which
according to Taylor (2001) loose flexibility and sometimes the quality in the preparation of
study materials, but they gain in interactivity.

A fourth generation that the author identifies as the “flexible learning model”, on which all
resource materials are added to the interactive multimedia, is characterized by the access of
resources through Internet and communication technologies. According to the author, it is a
model that presents flexibility, good quality and interaction.

This generation of the distance teaching can be distinguished by its interactivity in the
communication processes, which allow access to university resources, resources from other
educational and noneducational institutions and the communication among the students,
between students and tutors and of course, it is the most used in the present.

According to the author, a fifth generation is being configured in the present. The “intelligent
flexible learning model”, an approximation on which people start using multimedia systems
online, access to resources by Internet, use of self-response systems through information
technology, communication and access to services from instructional portals.

The speed of the technological development that a sixth generation – integrated by the
Automatic Virtual Environments, virtual reality systems of multiple projections that articulate
sound and image in three dimensions, to take the group of students to dive in a virtual world,
generated by computers in a real time – is being developed.
 64

As refered by Santos (2002), the distance education has become an important instrument of the
educational policy with universities created for developing activities quite exclusively for
distance education, like the Open University, founded in 1969 in the United Kingdom, which
enrolled its first student in 1971. This university is a clear example of the distance education
teaching, even though the first known institution has been the University of South Africa, in
1946.

So, it is clear that the evolution of the distance education at the beginning of XXI century is
entailled to the development of communication, mainly Internet. The new nets of
communication can promote at short term the rapid and trustfull access, allowing a greater level
of interactivity.

3.4 Concept and characterization of e-learning

Due to these changes, the traditional teaching models present three restrictions (Tachizawa &
Andrade, 2003 cited by Lima & Capitão, 2003):

 Time – it is required that all that are involved have to be available at the same
time.
 Place – it is required that all that are involved have to be on the same place;
 Scale - the limitations regarding to the number of students that can learn in a
classroom, with the teacher´s support.

Meanwhile, as Pimentel and Santos (2003) defend, although these models are not mostly used
in the greater majority of cases, there have been innovative approaches to promote teaching via
Internet, because of the current facts:

 Rapid production of knowledge and information;

 Infra-structure and Internet functioning;
 Different visions of distance education;
 Changes in the labour market, requiring professional entrepreneur posture;
 Increase in the pursuit of enterprises training;
 Expectations in the reduction of the training costs;
 Need for more flexible study forms.

The same way that the distance education presents several definitions, the e-learning is also
defined by several authors. For Pimentel and Santos (2003) the e-learning is a way of giving
 65

contents via all types of electronic means including Internet, Intranet, Extranets, virtual
classrooms, audio and video cassettes, interactive TV, chat, e-mail, forums, electronic libraries
and CD-ROM, for the teaching based on the computers and on the Web.

The definition from American Society For Training & Development of 2002 can be considered
sufficiently reaching: “the e-learning covers a set of multiple applications and processes such as
the teaching based on the Web, the one based on the computer, virtual classrooms and digital
collaboration that includes giving contents via Internet, Intranet/Extranet (LAN/WAN), audio
and video recording, radios satellites, interactive TV and CD-ROM”.

For Rosemberg (2001) the e-learning is the use of Internet technologies to give solutions that
enlarge knowledge.

According to Carvalho (2005) the e-learning, in its most restrict definition represents the 4th
generation of distance education, identifying itself with the learning processes in which the face
to face contact between the teacher and the student does not exist. In relation to the previous
generation, there were collaborative learning supported by computers environments were
introduced, allowing the creation of virtual classrooms and eliminating the traditional isolation
of distance education students.

For Caixinha (2005) the e-learning is a set of methodologies and technologies which has as
objective to promote the teaching and learning through the use of Internet/Web as a device of:

 Mediation among intervenients (interaction);

 Access to pedagogic resources (contents);
 Access to mechanisms of evaluation (evaluation);
 Access to the functioning of the management processes (management).

On the perspective of the authors mentioned previously, the term e-learning must also identify
the learning-teaching processes that are not passible to be accomplished without the
technological support, but they co-exist with the face to face activities that are also relevant.
That is, when there are learning or evaluation components that can be fulfilled through the same
technological support. This model is called blended learning (b-learning).

Blended learning, the teaching practice that combines teaching methods from both face-to-face
and online learning, is an established, rapidly growing instructional model that is proving highly
effective in helping schools address the challenges of student achievement, limited resources,
 66

and the expectations of 21st century learners. Whether it is extending classroom instruction
beyond the school day, supporting credit recovery programs, enhancing teacher professional
development or delivering enriched learning opportunities for accelerated students, blended
learning models are increasingly common practice across the curriculum for students and
teachers alike.

Blended learning is implemented in a variety of ways, ranging from models in which

curriculum is fully online with face-to-face interaction to models in which face-to-face
classroom instruction is integrated with online components that extend learning beyond the
classroom or school day. The rapid growth of blended learning has been a catalyst for additional
instructional transformation, including:

 Evolving pedagogy in which teachers’ roles include facilitation, student

mentoring and differentiating instruction for individual learners,
 Increased flexibility and personalization of students’ learning experiences, and
 Strategic uses of technology as provincies directorates tap the capabilities of the
learning management systems to support a wider range of instructional
programs.

Educators support online learning because of its unique abilities to provide students with
enriched learning experiences, to extend learning beyond the school day, and to support more
successful differentiated learning strategies that personalize students’ educational experiences.
Additionally, as educators gain more experience with the approaches to and benefits of blended
learning, they have discovered that this instructional model helps them increase capacity
without commensurate increases in budget or staff.

After the several definitions presented about the e-learning, it can clearly be seen that there are
two tendencies on the concept:

 The first, wide, considers that all forms of distance education that use the
electronic are included in the concept of e-learning;
 The second, more restricted, understands that the e-learning it is a distance
education form that uses Internet and its derivations as a support means.

For the purpose of this study, the e-learning is:

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• A form of distance education that uses the Internet and its derivations as the core
supports for the creation, distribution, interaction and content administration.

3.4.1 Advantages and disadvantages of the e-learning

As Lemos (2003) defends, before it is considered as a set of technological tools, with pedagogic
applications, the e-learning must be understood as an effective contribution for the paradigm
change in the learning and teaching process. Meanwhile, the implementation of processes of
this nature faces some obstacles that result from acting contexts and of the proper nature of
strategies of the distance education, being possible to show the advantages and disadvantages
(see Table 3.3):

Table 3.3: Advantages and disadvantagens of e-learning.

Advantages Disadvantage s

- Personalization of the transmitted contents; - It does not allow teacher student

- Facility of access and flexibility of the timetables; human relationship
- Permanent availability of contents; - Increases the development costs;
- Diversification of courses offer; - Technical difficulties related to
- Reduction of costs at long term; Internet and image and video
- Learning Control by the student; transmission speed;
- Rationalization of human and financial resources; - Resistence to changes on the
- Creation of learning communities; intervenients;
- Innovations in the formative processes; - Technological Components in
- Globalization of methods and resources information rapid oldfashioning;
(breaking the geographical bias); - High initial investiment;
- Reduction of infra-structure costs; - More time for content design;
- Active participation of students in learning; - Less credibility towards the
- Modullar learning; traditional methods;
- Higher knowledge exchange; - Requires strict selfdiscipline.

In the section that follows, there is a brief theoretical review of the catalysers and bias that inhibit
the e-learning potential.
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3.4.2 Catalysers and Bias to e-learning

The appearence and the consequent e-learning development resulted from the factors of the
technological, economic, demographic and social nature. According to INOFOR (2003) the
catalysers of e-learning are:

 Technological Revolution
 Economy Globalization
 Change in Learning paradigm
 Demographic and social changes
 Professional Training

Although there are known possibilities of e-learning, there are also some obstacles that inhibit
the potential of e-learning. Then, to overcome these bias to e-learning, this should be looked at
as a national imperative, involving, Institutions of Higher Education, enterprises and the state,
in a jointed and integrated mission, aimed to motivating and training the people that belong to
age extracts that due to cultural and geographical reasons can be considered info-excluded
(INOFOR, 2003).

Dobbs (2002) identifies as the main bias of e-learning the quality of courses, the limitation of
band coverage and the standards domain:

 Resources Quality
 Limitation of band coverage
 Standards domain.

The most important problems that are raised start from the defficient implementation, stable
contents and less interactivity to cultural factors like accommodation to traditional teaching
forms as well as the lack of support from top managers of the organizations.

According to a study conducted by Hussain (2004) on Institutions of Higher Education, the

main bias of the e-learning are:

 Lack of a strategic plan for e-learning;

 The e-learning is not felt as a need, but as something that all others are doing;
 Lack of experience in projects of e-learning (leadership and execution);
 Insufficient financial investments to cover all components of e-learning project.
 69

According to Litto (2001), European benchmarks and results of the enquiry to enterprises are
coincidents in the origin of shackles to development of e-learning:

 Teaching “without face”;

 Organizational culture;
 Lack of information and teacher support;
 High material costs and their development;
 High time consuming for the preparation of materials and activities;
 Lack of technological assistance;
 Resistence to change by teachers and students.

According to a study from INOFOR (2003) the face to face training seems to constitute a model
that responds to the major formative needs of the organizations or at least those needs that the
organizations assume as priority. The organizational culture also takes greater importance
probably being one of the main conditioners of formative needs of the organizations. As
consequence, it appears leading the battery of obstacles to implementation of e-learning, the
perception that the investment in a project like this does not stand itself as priority.

3.4.3 The e-learning and the Institutions of Higher Education

According to Figueiredo (2000) some years ago, it was possible to an Institution of Higher
Education ignore all competition forms and give a massive education. Like what happened in
many enterprises of the same period, could allow offering different quality services and
sometimes-doubtful thinking that lacked alternatives could not complain and look for options.

For Lemos (2003) currently this is no longer possible and the Institutions of Higher Education
must be updated towards the changes demanded by the globalization and above all to respond to
the impositions of the labour market that seeks for pro-active professionals with a need of a
permanent training.

In fact, the local community of specialised knowledge that constituted an Institution of Higher
Education, suddenly opened itself to the world and became part of a global community of
specialists linked among them by Internet, by telephone, by fax and by meetings and
conferences of several types (Figueiredo, 2000).
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According to Gouveia and Gomes (2004) the acquired experience and the opportunities for
development currently provided by incentives such as a e-University and pressures like doption
of Bolonha and the world negative demographic increase, which has been having an impact in
the Institutions of Higher Education orientation for the adoption of distance education or face to
face electronic support practices, taken as a requirement for the modern higher education and
suitable for the information society.

3.4.3.1 SWOT analysis of e-learning in Institutions of Higher Education

The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis is an instrument used
in the design of a strategy. It is not enough identifying the objectives and determine from them,
the critical factors that will determine the solution to adopt. It is also important to recognize the
situation in which the institution is, be it internally (strengths and weaknesses), be it in relation
to the outside (opportunities and threats) (See table 3.4, page 71).

According to Figueiredo (2000) this analysis must be conducted with greater objectivity and
hardness, namely with regard to the identification of weaknesses that shoud serve as objective
indicators in areas where later intervention must be centered. The process must be dynamic
trying to make the fullest use of the strengths, concentrating all efforts to overcome all
weaknesses, exploring whenever possible the opportunities and transforming the threats into
opportunities.

In terms of objectives, the Institutions of Higher Education will (Caixinha, 2005; Cantoni et al.,
2003):

 Improve the teaching quality;

 Increase the accessibility and flexibility of the curriculum;
 Allow technological experience on the students;
 Give support to users (contents, services and training);
 Follow the technological tendency verified on;
 Develop partnerships with other institutions;
 Develop new products;
 Implement a management quality system used in e-learning;
 Reduce costs.
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Table 3.4: SWOT analysis of e-learning in IES. Proper authory

Weaknesses
Strengths
- Teaching experience; - Greater investment in new resources;

- Know-how in terms of contents; - Resistence to change on the teachers´side;

- Learners Technological Maturity; - Lack of teachers´experience towards the e-

learning;
- Facilitating means of intervention among
students and with the Institutions of Higher - Insufficient resourses to support e-learning;
Education ;
- Lack of evaluating methodologies of
- Facilitated access to information; results;

- Acceptance on the students side; - Technical Difficulties;

- Good positioning in the educational market; - Lack of perception of the increased value;

-The student is in the center; - Organizational structure and innovation

aversion;
- Pre/post Interactivity, discussions/groups
news forum, more frequent questions, - Lack of examples of good practices;
navegation for information, adapted use of
multimedia resources (nor excessive nor - Lack of engagement and committment
overmuch). from the top management.

Opportunities Threats

- Acquired Experience;
- Demographic Increase;
- Few incentives for the project;
- Teaching Globalization;
- Increase in the pursuit of distance education; - Competitions of other Institutions of
Higher Education ;
- Use of the partners´ know-how;
- Generalized Access to Web and PC´s; - Rapid technological Evolution;
- Enlargement of product catallogue;
- Efforts for the initial implementation;
- New and different public;
- Projection of an innovative and modern - Lack of quality norms for teaching;

image; - Lack of evaluation teaching methods;

- Openess;
-Lack of discilpline and student
- Exploration of New Methods and perseverance;
technologies;
-Who does not believe in this method
-Increase of technological competences by the
continues thinking that learning in the
teachers and students; classroom is a better available method.
- Flexibility increase in the teaching and
learning processes.
 72

The e-learning allows flexibility, rationalizes resources (financial and human) and enlarges the
geographical teaching coverage. However, this system can only be seen as advantagious if
joined with the arguments mentioned, if there are similar or better pedagogical results compared
with the face to face teaching (Cantoni et al., 2003).

3.5 Concept and characterization of video-conference

From the 80s there has been a development of teaching systems supported by computers. Due to
evolution of this area, today there are highly sophisticated systems. Since the mid 80 the
microcomputers, linked to several technologies for storing and audio reading and digitated
images has been offering integrated environments known as multimedia. Among the existing
multimedia systems used in education, there is a videoconference.

Video-conference

According to Cruz and Barcia (2000) the video conference is a technology that allows that
distant groups, situated in two or more places geographically different, communicate in a “face
to face”, through audio signals and video, recreating at distance, the meeting conditions among
people.

The firsst prototype of the videophone, known as “father” of videoconference was shown in
public in 1964, whereby the first interactive transmission in two ways (audio and video),
happened in 1967 between Nova York and Los Angelos. At that time it could not be sold
because of its high cost and lack of a suitable transmission infrastructure. In the 80s, with the
development of algorithymical comprehensive technology, the video conference systems could
evolve, as the signals used more narrow lines without losing quality of images. According to
Keegan (1995) cited by Cruz (2001) the speed of increase in the use of video conference was a
combination in the improvement of technology of video comprehension with the acceptance of
the international telecommunications standards and a rapid fall of costs.

For Cruz (2001) a videoconference digital system consists in a video camera, a

codifier/decodifier of digital signals (CODEC), a TV monitor and an audio unity. The video
CODEC and the audio unity converted the analogical signals of audio and video for video
camera into a digital format. This digital data needs also to be compressed to be able to be sent
 73

through a digital communicating link to other machine with compatible equipment. The
videoconference systems require connections between two or more machines that codify and
decodify the signals in a direct relationship between the transmission speed and the quality of
image. The band size used for transmitting the video image controls the solution and the image
movements. The higher the speed/quality of data, better the quality of image and sound received
and transmitted.

In specialized literature, the recommendation for the use as interface in the learning and
teaching processes is that of working with the high transmission rates among equipments, 128
or 384 Kbps 2, as they allow a quality of television image close to that we are used to. On the
television, the images get the speed of thirty frames per second. In the videoconference system,
transmitted at 384 Kbps, is able to give an image around 26 to 28 frames per second.

The videoconference equipments can be divided in two types: of the table or room. The first is
for individual use, installed on a microcomputer. Uses telephone lines for the transmission what
makes it not have a good quality. The videoconference is a more broadcasted by having a more
powerful processing. It can be installed in more varied size rooms according to the needs and
function, allows an individual communication, but it is useful by possibilitating meetings or
lessons to groups of varied sizes. The transmissions can occur between two rooms (point by
point) or several (multipoint). It is in this way that the system appears as a greater potentiality
for the learning and teaching process, research and distance education.

3.6 Lessons learned

With the design of this chapter, the researcher communicates his approach and his critique to
the authors that throughout the decades have been dealing with the themes that served to
support the understanding of the object of the study of this investigation. The intention was to
establish, whenever possible, a dialogue with the authors instead of a pure appropriation of his
or her ideas and work. The researcher proposed him/herself to learn with them through a
dialogue on which his knowledge could also be present. It was not all by casuality that the
review of literature was made in an important moment of construction of theoretical bases that
sustain the investigation problem, the examination of the reality and the interpretation of the
results of the empirical study.

2
Kbps – quilobits per second. A measurement standard of data rate and transmission capacity. It is equivalent to
1.000 bits per second.
 74

Throughout this chapter, it was possible to observe on a comparative analisys the definitions of
distance education, which, various elements of different degrees are part of conceptual universe
of this teaching model. But, on the researcher´s perspective, these elements do not help to
characterize the distance education – maybe in some historical moments, these elements might
have served for the conceptualization, but it must be understood that, in the current society,
many of them are losing signification.

In this way, for the effect of this study, based on the discussion above mentioned and trying to
synthesize the several concepts presented, the researcher adopts the concept that follows for the
distance education:

• It is a teaching form, implemented by an educational organization, in which the

teachers and the students meet while they are physically separated, needing the
mediation of some type of technology to establish communication among them.

In this context, this study adopts the tridimensional theory defended by John Verduin and
Thomas Clark. This theoretical model contemplates as much as the adult education preconized
by Moore and Garrison as it enlarges the fulfillment of distance education practices. Their
theory lays on the dialogue concepts, structure and autonomy learning proposed by Moore as
well as on the bi-directional communication attributes and the separation mister-learner
proposed by Keegan. The theoretical base proposed by Moore is however amplified in these
authors, defining three specific theoretical dimensions:

 Existence of a dialogue/support from the mister;

 Existence of a structure/specialization of learning/teaching process;
 Existence of a competence/autonomy of the learner.

It can be concluded that the distance education is not a category opposed to face-to-face
education, as many definitions present. It could have been within a historical moment in the
light of the reality of some historical period but now, it is no longer. The world has changed and
the face-to-face education is also changing adapting itself to the society of information and
knowledge. This without considering that both models of education share philosophical,
epistemological, pedagogic, didactical, administrative, organizational bases, among others, that
configurates within the same educational logics and not as opposite poles or categories mutually
excluding.
 75

It is in this context of the formulated problem that the researcher defends the thesis that the
distance education must not be considered as an alternative or compensatory method of the
face-to-face education, but as an opportunity for rethinking education as a whole.

However, the need for an efficient communication system between the teacher and the student
implied the establishment of a direct relationship between the distance education and the
advances that have taken place in the telecommunications, in the informatics, of multimedia and
Internet (Moore & Kearsley, 1996). The technologies used increased in number, complexity and
potenciality, creating new models of distance education (Lima & Capitão 2003).

It is in this way that Taylor (2001) cited by Luzzi (2007) identifies four generations in the
history of distance education: the “model by correspondence”, the “multimedia model”, the
“tele-learning model” and the “flexible learning model” and points that there is a fifth being
configurated: the “intelligent and flexible learning model”.

On the other side, in the distance education, there can be distinguished two training models
(Testa, 2001):

 Sync Model – Training component in real time that promotes interaction through
sound, image and data, between teachers and students in a “virtual classroom”,
regardless where they are;
 Assync Model – training component with no possibility for interaction in real
time provides access to the contents in their multiple supports in an
individualized way. In these cases, if there is interaction between teachers and
students, this happens in delayed through e-mail or discussion forums.

To learn and teach using as methodology the distance education, there are two communication
forms identified (Testa, 2001):

 Unidirectional Communication – paper contents, study guides, books, radio,

television, cassettes, are some of the examples;
 Bidirectional Communication – correspondence in paper, telephone,
audioconference, are some of the examples. The bilateral communication has as
its main objectives keep the higher degree of motivation on the student, facilitate
his/her learning, inform the student pegagogic and technically and give cognitive
skills that are suitable to his/her progression in the materials of study.
 76

One the most important factors of a distance education system is the choice of support
technologies and the way it is made available. The curriculum contents are normally distributed
to the students in different formats, being one of them an electronic one, which leads e-learning.

At the same time that the distance education presents several definitions, the concept e-learning
is also discussed by several authors. From the discussion held on the theorectical referential, the
attemp has been to look for a concept that is more suitable for the aims of this work.

In this way, for the purposes of this study, the e-learning is:

• The way the distance education uses the Internet and its derivations has main
supports for the creation, distribution, interaction and content administration.

In this way, there has been a wider set of expected outcomes for an initiative of the adoption of
a platform of e-learning: improvement of the quality of teaching, increase of productivity of the
teachers, development of the organization, increase in the number of students/diversification of
public and reinforcement of the institutional image.
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Chapter 4

4.1 Introduction

The choice of a methodological approach and research method has to follow the line of
ontological, epistemological and theoretical presuppositions of the researcher, being a
consequence of the adopted posture since the beginning of this work. Van Manen (1990)
postulates that there is a dialectics relationship between the problem and the method. Therefore,
the second must be the consequence of the first. In this way, the search for the outlining of the
research presupposes a clear definition of the proposed problem, of the research questions and
the stated objectives, that is, what is aimed to be explored and investigated during the research.

This chapter has the objective of discussing the methodology for the field research
operationalization of the study and reaches the established main objective: invest in the
improvement of teaching in the classroom through the continuous training of natural sciences
and mathematics teachers of the second cycle of the General Secondary Education, based on the
virtual learning environments. In literature, methodology means "different ways of doing things
with different endings" (Kerlinger, 2000:335), that is, ways of formulating problems, hypothesis,
observation methods and data gathering, variable measures and data analysis techniques. "The
methodology includes also aspects of science philosophy" (same), presupposing a constant
attitude of the critical analysis, especially when such analysis assumes a form of epistemological
criticisms of the used concepts, within a frame of a research.

Barros and Lehfeld (2000) comments that the scientific research consists of observation of the
facts the way they occur spontaneously, data gathering and register of the variables presumably
relevant for further analysis. A research is a form of getting progress and therefore, a reflexive, a
systematic, a controlled and a critical process that leads us to the discovery of new facts and of
the relationships between the laws that regulate the appearance or absence of them.

The objective of the research is to find answers for questionnaires through the use of scientific
methods (Laville & Dionne, 1999). These scientific methods for the current study will be the
target of the study in this chapter.
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4.2 Selection of the Research Paradigm and Methodology

Educational research is essentially concerned with exploring and understanding social

phenomena, which are educational in nature, mainly pertaining to formalized and/or
spontaneously occurring social, cultural, psychological processes which could be termed as
education. In so doing, it deals with educational questions that can be investigated in a
satisfactory manner, and the methods, which enable such satisfactory investigation and the utility
of results emanating from such investigation (Dash, 1993). Since theoretical questions in
education emerge from different conceptions and interpretations of social reality, different
paradigms have been evolved to determine the criterion according to which one would select and
define problems for inquiry. Thomas Kuhn, who is known for the term ‘paradigm’, characterizes
a paradigm as an integrated cluster of substantive concepts, variables and problems attached with
corresponding methodological approaches and tools (Khun, 2000).

During the past century, different paradigms have taken birth due to the remarkable growth in
social sciences research. There are mainly two paradigms to the verification of theoretical
propositions, that is, positivism and anti-positivism (or naturalistic inquiry).

4.2.1 Positivism

The positivist paradigm of exploring social reality is based on the philosophical ideas of the
French philosopher August Comte, who emphasized observation and reason as means of
understanding human behaviour. According to him, true knowledge is based on experience of
senses and can be obtained by observation and experiment. Positivistic thinkers adopt his
scientific method as a means of knowledge generation. Hence, it has to be understood within the
framework of the principles and assumptions of science. These assumptions, as Cohen,
Lawrence and Morrison (2000) noted, are determinism, empiricism, parsimony, and generality.
‘Determinism’ means that events are caused by other circumstances; and hence, understanding
such casual links is necessary for prediction and control. ‘Empiricism’ means collection of
verifiable empirical evidences in support of theories or hypotheses. ‘Parsimony’ refers to the
explanation of the phenomena in the most economic way possible. ‘Generality’ is the process of
generalizing the observation of the particular phenomenon to the world at large. With these
assumptions of science, the ultimate goal of science is to integrate and systematize findings into
 79

a meaningful pattern or theory which is regarded as tentative and not the ultimate truth. Theory is
subject to revision or modification as new evidence is found. Positivistic paradigm thus
systematizes the knowledge generation process with the help of quantification, which is
essentially to enhance precision in the description of parameters and the discernment of the
relationship among them.

Although positivistic paradigm continued to influence educational research for a long time in the
latter half of the twentieth century, it was criticized due to its lack of regard for the subjective
states of individuals. It regards human behaviour as passive, controlled and determined by
external environment. Hence human beings are dehumanized without their intention,
individualism and freedom taken into account in viewing and interpreting social reality.
According to the critique of this paradigm, objectivity needs to be replaced by subjectivity in the
process of scientific inquiry. This gave rise to anti-positivism or naturalistic inquiry.

4.2.2 Anti-positivism

Anti-positivism emphasizes that social reality is viewed and interpreted by the individual
themselves according to the ideological positions the posses. Therefore, knowledge is personally
experienced rather than acquired from or imposed from outside. The anti-positivists believe that
reality is multi-layered and complex (Cohen et al, 2000) and a single phenomenon is having
multiple interpretations. They emphasize that the verification of a phenomenon is adopted when
the level of understanding of a phenomenon is such a way that the concern is to probe into the
various unexplored dimensions of a phenomenon rather than establishing specific relationship
among the components, as it happens in the case of positivism.
Anti-positivism is marked by three schools of thought in the social science research. These are
phenomenology, ethno methodology and symbolic interactionism. All the three schools of
thought emphasize human interaction with phenomena in their daily lives, and suggest
qualitative rather than quantitative approach to social inquiry.

The two paradigms presented here are focused on two concepts of social reality. While
positivism stands for objectivity, measurability, predictability, controllability, constructs laws
and rules of human behaviour, non-positivism essentially emphasizes understanding and
interpretation of phenomena and making meaning out of this process. Alongside the presence of
 80

these two major paradigms, another trend, which got developed during the post-sixties, gave rise
to the third paradigm of research namely the Paradigm of Critical Theory.

4.2.3 Critical theory

The main protagonist of this theory was Jurgen Habermas, who worked at the Frankfurt School
in Germany to develop an approach of investigation and action in the social sciences, which
could describe the historical forces that restrict human freedom and expose the ideological
justification of those forces.
Critical theorists like Habermas were critical of the earlier paradigms, as they were not tuned to
question or transform the existing situation. He developed theories, which were built on a
typology of interest. Habermas (1970) postulated three types of interest which generate three
types of knowledge:

 A technical interest concerned with the control of the physical environment,

which generates empirical and analytical knowledge.
 A practical interest concerned with understanding the meaning of situation, which
generates hermeneutic and historical knowledge.
 An emancipating interest concerned with the provision of growth and
advancement, which generates critical knowledge and is concerned with exposing
conditions of constraints and domination.

Critical theorists suggest two kinds of research methodologies, namely, ideology critique and
action research, for undertaking research work.

Critical theory has also been criticized by some of the contemporary scholars. Lakomski (1999)
questions the acceptability of the consensus theory of truth on which Habermas’work is
premised. Habermas’work is little more than speculation. Whist the claim regarding the three
forms of knowledge has the epistemological attraction of simplicity, one has to question this very
simplicity (Keat, 1981); there are a multitude of interests and ways of understanding the world;
and it is simply artificial to reduce these to three interests (Cohen et al, 2000).
 81

4.2.4 Research paradigms and research methods

Each of the paradigms discussed above has definite research methods, which can be used in
carrying out scientific investigation.
Positivism which emphasizes objectivist approach to studying social phenomena gives
importance to research methods focusing on quantitative analysis, surveys, experiments and the
like.

Similarly, anti-positivism which stresses on subjectivist approach to studying social phenomena

attaches importance to a range of research techniques focusing on qualitative analysis, e.g.
personal interviews, participant observations, account of individuals, personal constructs etc.

Similarly, critical theory suggests ideology critique and action research as research methods to
explore the existing phenomena.

The question arises: how does a researcher select a research paradigm and corresponding
methodology? The following questions may be raised by the researcher:

1. What is the nature or essence of the social phenomena being investigated?

2. Is social phenomenon objective in nature or created by the human mind?
3. What are the bases of knowledge corresponding to the social reality, and how
knowledge can be acquired and disseminated?
4. What is the relationship of an individual with their/his/her environment? Is she/he
conditioned by the environment or is the environment created by her/him?

Based on the above questions, the researcher can identify whether the research questions pertain
to positivism, anti-positivism, and critical theory; and choose the appropriate methodology,
accordingly.

Although each of the paradigms has corresponding approaches and research methods, still a
researcher may adopt research methods cutting across research paradigms as per the research
questions he proposes to answer. In this line of thought, the researcher chose to adopt three
investigation paradigms so that he explores more the possibilities each of them offers for the
accomplishment of this study: the positivism (for the quantitative approach), the anti-positivism
 82

(in the qualitative approach) and the critical theory in the adoption of action research, which
refers to technical procedures.

For Valles (1997) there is truly a coexistence of several paradigms in the researches that are
aimed to be qualitativists or quantitativists. The author referring to the works of Guba and
Lincon (1994) says that the paradigms must be understood as systems of basic beliefs, principles
and presuppositions about:

a) " The nature of the investigated reality (ontological presupposition);

b) the model of the relationship between the researcher and the research (epistemological
presupposition);
c) the way in which we can get knowledge of the so said reality (methodological
presupposition)" (Valles, 1997: 49).

This does not mean that when there is an implementation of a research there should only be the
methodological aspects known. As for Valles (1997) the Paradigm must guide the researcher in
the ontological and epistemological aspects of the research besides selecting the methods. These
three aspects are said to be related in the way that the basic belief the researcher has at
ontological level must take him to adopt consonant postures in the epistemological and
methodological plans.

4.3 Characterization of the research

Selltiz and Deutsch (1974) comment that each study has a specific objective. These specific
objectives can overlap into wider objectives:

 Familiarization with phenomenon or get new understanding of this;

 Precise presentation of the characteristics of a situation, group or specific
individual;
 Verifying the frequency in which something occurs or to whether it is linked to
one or another thing;
 Verifying hypothesis of a casual relationship among variables.
According to Barros and Lehfeld (2000) the forms of study of the object of the research
determine the classification of the research. This can be: Descriptive, Experimental and
 83

Research-Action. The descriptive research is that in which the researcher observes, registers,
analyses and correlates facts or phenomena. In this type of research there is no interference of the
researcher, he does not manipulate the object of the research.

The experimental research adopts the manipulation criterion or one or more independent
variables (causes), under adequate control so that it interprets and observes the modifications and
the reactions occurred on the object research. In this way, the researcher interferes in the reality,
fact or studied situation through direct manipulation of the variables (Barros & Lehfeld, 2000).

The action-research, the third classified by Barros and Lehfeld (2000) is a type of social research
with the empirical base that is conceived and fulfilled in association with an action or resolution
of a collective problem and on which the researchers and the participants of the situation or
problem are involved in a cooperative or participative ways.

Selltiz and Deutsch (1974) present a classification in three types: i) descriptive studies ii) studies
that verify the casual hypothesis and iii) formulating or exploratory studies.

The descriptive studies considered by Selltiz and Deutsch (1974) have as their objectives to
describing the characteristics of a certain population or phenomenon, stimulate the proportion of
the people of a special population, which maintain certain opinion or attitude; verify the
existence of associations among the variables.

The other type of study considered by these authors is casual, which has its objective to
identifying the factors that determine or contribute for the phenomena to take place; can either
have the objective of verifying the casualty hypothesis.

The third type of study mentioned by Selltiz and Deutsch (1974) are formulating or exploratory
studies whose objective is the formulation of a problem for a more exact investigation or for the
creation of hypothesis.

The research can be classified at a wider level as an exploratory or concluding. The major
objective of the exploratory research is to provide the comprehension of the problem faced by
the researcher. This type of research is used in cases where there is a need for identifying action
relevant courses or get additional data before developing an approach. The concluding research
 84

has its objective to evaluate concluding hypothesis, as they are used as data for generic decision-
making. The concluding researches can be descriptive or casual.

According to the objectives of this study, it is a kind of an exploratory research as it explains the
progress of the social phenomena, looking for a close familiarity with the problem.

Yet, the core type of research used which has to do with the technical procedures was action-
research, as in this situation, the observer accumulates the roles of the researcher and member of
the organization. In this way, the researcher was fully involved with the object of the research so
that he could conceive, intervene/change the reality and evaluate the outcomes. The principles of
this type of research are of the participating character, the democratic impulse and a contribution
to the social change that characterizes it as an innovating research (Barbier, 1985; Thiollent,
2003).

Barbier (1985) explains that this type of research is aimed at untighting through an analytical
method, a chain of significations/meanings established in an organization. For that, through
praxis the researcher works the social secret structures that contribute for determining the
orientations of a practice and in this way, is able to identify the knowledge and the dynamics
built by different groups involved.

It can be better understood the action research as an action that tries to understand and explain
the praxis of the social groups. Being consensual in different authors that this type of research is
focused on improving the practice (Elliot, 1993; Thiollent, 2003).

Therefore, the action research can be distinguished through its characteristics of knowing and
acting and further studying the outcomes. In this way, the research becomes a permanent
modification process “in reflection spirals and action” where each spiral includes, according to
Elliot (1993):

 Elucidate and diagnose a practical situation or problem that needs to be improved

or solve;
 Design action strategies;
 Apply such strategies;
 Evaluate their efficiency;
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 Understand a new situation;

 Reuse the same steps for a new practical situation.

This research model, on the qualitative approach, is based on the fundamentals of the oral
history, in which the aims of the description and reflection are met on the caption, register of the
gathered information. This procedure was chosen because it best adapts to the type of
information needed for a particular situation of double acting of the researcher. According to
Bogdan and Biklen (1994), this allows evaluating the most direct reaction of the interviewees
towards the problems put in place as well as understanding in a more consistent way their
options. Moreover, fulfilled all the five main characteristics of a qualitative research, the specific
objectives predicted/expected in this study would be reached. In this regard Bogdan and Biklen
(1994:43) consider that:

 The direct source of the data is the natural environment and the researcher, the main
instrument, going to the place of study and familiarizing him/herself with it, creating self-
interest by the context and the relationships with the individuals.
 The research is descriptive in a way that the words, images, scenes, environments,
episodes, situations, thoughts and depositions are minutely described;
 The researchers withholds more on the process than on the outcomes and products,
seeking for causes, the origins, the history of the behaviours, actions and thoughts
expressed by the investigated individuals, trying to understand what interferes in those
thoughts and actions and how these can be translated into activities and daily interactions;
 The data analysis in processed in an inductive way, that is, not always the data is got for
proving hypothesis previously built which very often emerge from the proper data;
 The meaning is of fundamental importance as it is given through the process of pursuing
for an understanding of the phenomena that occur in a certain context, institutions or
community.

Richardson et al. (1999) comment that method in research means the choice of systematic
procedures for the description and explanation of the phenomena. The author classifies the
methods as qualitative and quantitative.

One of the methods presented by Malhotra (2001) for exploratory research and selected for this
study is the qualitative research. The choice of the qualitative method is justified by its
 86

humanistic motive, which is important in the understanding of the social reality and above all by
its affinity with the changeable nature of the social world (Filstead, 1986). The humanist
principles of this method (Serrano Pérez, 1994) were a strong argument for the design of this
study. This research helped itself with the primary data for its execution. The primary data were
generated by the researcher with a specific objective of solving the problem in place. The
qualitative research provides a better vision and understanding of the context of the problem
while the quantitative research, as a complement, quantified the data and applied some statistical
analyses. Bogdan and Biklen (1994) explain that the qualitative and quantitative approaches can
be complementary and that in some studies this is desirable. For example, using the descriptive
statistics and presenting itself together the interpretation of the qualitative data. This type of
option is called methodological triangulation.

For Minayo (1994) the relationships among the qualitative and quantitative approaches
demonstrate that:

"The two approaches are not incompatible and can be integrated within the same project;
a quantitative research can conduct the researcher to the choice of a particular problem to
be analyzed in its whole complexity through methods and qualitative techniques and
vice versa; the qualitative research is the one that better coadunates to the knowledge of
particular situations, specific groups and symbolic universes.

From the epistemological point of view, infers:

that the whole social knowledge (quantitative or qualitative) it is only possible by cut,
reduction or approximation;
that the whole reduction and approximation cannot lose the view that the social is
qualitative and that the quantitative is one of its forms of expression;
that, on place of operating, the quantitative and qualitative approaches have a meeting
point be it on the theories as well as on the methods of analysis and interpretation" p.32.

There are potentialities in the articulation of quantitativist and qualitativist postures. For Minayo
(1994)

"The contribution of the qualitative approach for the social understanding can be
explained as theory and method. in terms of theory, it allows to develop social
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processes that are still not well-known, particular groups and social expectations
in the higher degree of complexity... whereas method is characterized by
empiricalness and systematization, the qualitative approach favours the
construction of instruments established in the perception of the social actors,
becoming in this way, valid as a source for the establishment of indicators,
indexes, typologies and hypotheses. besides that, it allows more plausible
interpretations of the quantitative data, supporting the elimination of the
uncertainty that slips up by operationalization of the theoretical models designed
far from the situations empirically observable." p.30 e 31.

Merton and Kendall express the same sentiment when they say, “Social scientists have come to
abandon the spurious choice between qualitative and quantitative data: they are concerned rather
with that combination of both which makes use of the most valuable features of each. The
problem becomes one of determining at which points they should adopt the one, and at which the
other, approach” (Merton & Kendall, 1946 cited by Cohen at al, 2000:45).

The knowledge of some proper characteristics of the qualitative perspective becomes

fundamental for a better understanding of the methodological positioning which was adopted in
this study. Such characteristics are:

a) The qualitative research must not be understood as a set of techniques but as an

approach for the study of the social phenomena (Morgan & Smircich, 1980);
b) Researchers that follow this orientation are concentrated on understanding the
meanings built by the people, understanding how the individuals understand their
world and the experiences that they live (Merriam, 1991);
c) These researches start from the wide questionings that are being defined
according to the moment the studies develop themselves (Chizzotti, 1991), that is,
they have a flexible project (Taylor & Bogdan, 1998) and emergent as the
researcher does not know for certain all the people that will be interviewed and
even all the questions that will be made (Merriam, 1991);
d) A qualitative study is very descriptive and is not concerned with proving the
theories. This means that there are no hypotheses to be tested (Merriam, 1991);
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This study also used the Focus Group technique to be able to know the 2nd cycle of general
secondary education natural sciences and mathematics teachers´ opinion and evaluate the post
graduation course that is delivered in virtual learning environments.

For Krueger and Casey (2000) the Focus Group technique is considered a scientific research
because it is a process that is research disciplined, systematic, sequential and verifiable.

4.4 Research steps

The fluxogram of the methodological procedures used for the prosecution of the main objective
of this research is presented in four steps. The first step was aimed at diagnosing the situation of
use of ITCs by the teachers of natural sciences and mathematics of the second cycle of general
secondary education.

The second step was aimed at adaptation and implementation of a module of a Masters course in
virtual learning environment for in service teachers of natural sciences and mathematics.

The third step had to do with the presentation of a reflection about the practices and reflection
practices in training. The researcher in this step was concerned with presenting several
understandings of the reflection concept and its content, the conditions needed to the
development of this process, its role in the teacher´s practice and the characteristics of the
reflexive teacher. Lastly, there are some models of the reflexive practice based on the
relationship between action and reflection.

The fourth step was aimed at evaluation process of a module of a Masters course in virtual
learning environments for natural sciences and mathematics in service teachers.

The figure 4.1 presents the fluxogram of the methodological procedures used for the prosecution
of the main objective of this research, organized in four steps.
 89

IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM

DEVELOPMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES

PRODUCTION OF THE RESEARCH

QUESTIONS

STEP 01 TECHNIQUES FOR DATA COLLECTION

Diagnose the situation of

ICTs use by the teachers • Inquiries through Questionnaire
of maths and natural • Documental research
sciences in the GSE • Research diary

STEP 02
• Reports
• Assystematic observation and
Reflect on the
participants
organization of the
masters course in VLE for • Interviews
mathematics and natural • Research diary
sciences in- service • Inquiries through Questionnaire
teachers
• Course analysis virtual learning
environments

STEP 03

Reflection about the TECHNIQUES FOR DATA ANALYSIS

practices of the
reflection on training • Selection,
• categorization,
• tabulation and
STEP 04
• qualitative analysis of the categories

Evaluate masters courses in • use of SPSS

VLE for mathematics and

natural sciences in-service
teachers

FINAL VERSION OF THE

FINDINGS/RESEARCH

Figure 4.1: Methodological procedures of the research

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After the second step had taken place, there was a confrontation of the outcomes got with the
data resulting from the first step of the model. In this way, there were objective conditions
created for the researcher to have an available field for a reflection about the practices and
reflection practices in training, consubstantiating in this way the fulfilment of the third step. On
the other side, the study pursued to reach the suggested objectives, namely:

 Diagnose the level of use of information and communication technologies among

the teachers of natural sciences and mathematics of the second cycle of General
secondary education;
 Reflect on the organization of the post graduation course for natural sciences and
mathematics teachers of the second cycle of general secondary education to be
delivered via distance education, in virtual learning environment, in e-learning
models and video conference;
 Adapt an on-going post-graduation course and materials for mathematics and
natural science teachers of the second cycle of general education run via distance
education and based on virtual learning environments (e-learning and video
conference);

The objective i) Analyze whether the post graduation goals were fulfilled with regard to the
reinforcement of teacher competences in the classroom reducing the rotativity in the school
system, was accomplished throughout the discussions raised in chapter 5. It was felt that being
able to reach the pre established specific objectives, the general objective of this research, which
has to do with the investment in the improvement of teaching in the classroom through natural
science and mathematics continuous teacher training of the General secondary education, based
on the virtual learning environments would be reached.

4.5 Population and sample

The population of the study was built by all the teachers of the second cycle of general secondary
education of the country. The research was fulfilled with 265 natural science and mathematics
teachers of the second cycle of general secondary education, covering the whole country whose
names are kept secret, for ethical reasons. The sample was selected by convenience to explore
 91

the facilities the researcher had to be able to get the group about which the study would rely on.
It is a non-probabilistic sample “a sample built according to the explicit choice of the researcher.
It is the case of a typical sample in which and from the needs of the study, the researcher selects
the cases thought to be example or typical to the target population or part of it” (Laville &
Dionne, 1999:170).

Table 4.1: Data Gathering Matrix

Natural sciences and mathematics teachers of the second cycle of general secondary education

Maputo-Province
Instrument
Cabo-Delgado

Maputo-City
Inhambane
Zambézia
Nampula

Manica
Niassa

Sofala

Gaza
Tete

Questionnaire 04 00 20 27 20 10 07 31 55 33 58
Focus Group - - - - - - - 04 10 07 07
Interview - - - - - - - - 2 2 1
Research diary - - - - - - - - - - -

This is a relatively small sample taking into account the number of natural sciences and
mathematics teachers that the country has, but according to Bogdan and Biklen (1994), in the
qualitative research the methods for gathering the data lead to an intensive work as the objective
is to get the responses and explanations through deep exploration of issues under investigation,
contrary to quantitative research in which the researchers use bigger samples with the objective
of generalizing the research outcomes.

4.6 Data gathering: method and instruments

According to Merriam (1991), in a qualitative research, besides working essentially with the
process, that is, the way how the phenomenon appears and the justification of its occurrence,
there is also a major concern with the meaning that the participants give to their experiences, and
it is assumed that this attribution of meanings is measured by the perception of the proper
researcher. In this way, the researcher him/herself is the instrument of data gathering, sensitive to
the context and he is able to adapt the gathering techniques to situations that are appearing.
 92

The objectives and the design of the research are basic elements for the definition of the
techniques for information gathering. The nature of this study requires instruments that are
capable of keeping the decisive respondents’ characteristics. For that effect, the researcher
decided to use the questionnaire, the profound interview and the Focus Group. These techniques
were also associated wit the research diary and with the critical examination of the materials
produced by other intervenient in the process of the establishment of a platform of distance
courses and by the virtual learning environments in Higher Education Institutions. This
triangulation strategy allowed the data progress, giving consistence to the study.

The researcher decided to formulate the questions to the questionnaire and the profound
interview following a sequence to avoid unnecessary reflection changes that would consequently
mislead information. In this way, he ordered the questions following interest blocs to facilitate
the reflection and provide a certain mental comfort to the informer. The questions were designed
based on this typology: opinion, knowledge, experience and feeling.

The researcher decision about carrying out profound interviews was particularly due to the
advantages that the interviews provide to qualitative studies. The interview is indicated for
“gathering data described in a proper subject language” (Bogdan & Biklen, 1994:134), allowing
the researcher to develop intuitively an idea about how the subjects interpret the situations they
live. Besides building an important process of data gathering of a more individual nature, like
thoughts, feelings and opinions, the interview is a suitable means when one wishes to get
information about past events (Merriam, 1991). In this way, this technique enabled: (i) to get
meaningful responses; (ii) the flexibility and profound information; (iii) the reflection about
certain information and (iv) to listen to histories and discovery of feelings (Cf. Hayman, 1991,
Walker, 1989, Wittrock, 1989, Woods, 1995). There were, in fact, advantages derived from the
fact that the interviews were a way of an interpersonal communication provoked by the interest
of obtaining information through the dialogue (Morin, 1995). In fact, the interviews converted
themselves into excellent and profitable opportunities to amplify the researcher’s knowledge
regarding to an imagination of the teachers involved in projects of the continuous training.
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4.6.1 Data gathering

The qualitative methodology was consubstantiated by techniques that the researcher wanted to
use in the development of the research, that is: the research diary, the reports, the interviews,
observations and the questionnaires. These techniques were also associated with the critical
exam of the materials produced by other intervenient in the process of the establishment of a
platform of the e-learning courses in IHE. Such triangulation strategy allowed the researcher to
give a progressive data valorization, giving consistence to the acquired outcomes.

From the researcher´s point of view, this was the most important step of the study. It is clear that
in this opportunity the researcher exhibited the objectives and purposes of the study and asked
for collaboration of all selected informers.

The access to the field and the most considerable part of the sources were facilitated by the
Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Mozambique through the National
Directorate of the General Education. Associated to the accessibility criterion, the researcher
used a method called snowball, that is, established contact with trusted people that established
other contacts with people that could respond to the questionnaires of the research. This form of
collaboration was a deciding one for the establishment of contacts in the field that enabled the
empirical study to come true. The empirical study concluded from the telephone calls, e-mails to
school visits of the selected schools, as well as all the technical procedures to get as much
information as possible. The informative observations carried out in the classrooms in some of
the researched schools helped in the enrichment and profounding of the knowledge of the reality
of the natural sciences and mathematics teachers of the Second Cycle of the General Education,
throughout the national territory. The informal conversations in the corridors of the researched
schools were important alternatives to amplify the perceptions and knowledge about expectations
of the respondents. There is no doubt that these contacts were rich, productive and they had a
relevant role in the interpretation of the gathered information through questionnaire and focus
group.

The empirical study took place from December 2008 to March 2010, following the chronogram
previously defined and presented in the research proposal.
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Research diary. The research diary is one of the most important instruments of this study and it
was an instrument in which the researcher kept the notes that he used to write while observing
daily. These notes showed “the written picture of all that the researcher heard, saw, experimented
and thought in the gathering process and reflecting about the data of a qualitative study” (Bodgan
& Biklen, 1994:150). The research diary represented an important source of data and helped the
researcher to “follow the development of the project, to see how the investigation plan was used
by the data gathered and becoming conscious on how he was influencing by the data” (p. 151).

Reports. These were produced by the administrator of the e-learning system of Higher
Education Institutions where they reflected about its achievement, the reaction that manifested
the type of work, the strategies and the difficulties faced. The analysis of the reports was an
opportunity for a request for a deeper thinking about the practical procedures of the administrator
of the e-learning system, problematizing several aspects emerging from such experience, review
ideas and move with new perspectives.

Interviews. One of the characteristic aspects of this study was the importance that the researcher
gave to the natural sciences and mathematics teachers’ perspective, which, was obtained
essentially from their speech. In this way, the interview (Appendixes C and D) had an important
role to play as it was used for gathering descriptive data on the language of the proper subject,
allowing the researcher to develop intuitively an idea about the way the subjects interpret the
teaching aspects of the natural sciences and mathematics in the Second Cycle of the General
Education itself.

The interviews were built as an additional and complementary instrument to the use of the
questionnaires for the advantages that have already been mentioned. All the interviews were held
in the working environments of the interviewees, situation that influenced in the quality of the
information towards their trust, of the climate of tranquility provided by the data and the physical
space dominated by the interviewee. For the success of the information gathering there were two
basic procedures used: the recording of the interviews on a digital support and the manual
register of the declarations of the interviewees by the researcher. During the interview the
researcher was attentive to the understanding of the interviewees’ speech and when something
seemed less clear he asked for clarification. At the end of the interview there was also a
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consultation with the interviewee to know if he or she wanted to clarify, review, omit and deepen
certain aspects.

At the end of each interview, the researcher used the analysis procedures to reflect about the
relevance of the information and to facilitate the transcription of the recordings in a digital
support. In this first phase, that can be called the acknowledgement of the information, the
researcher acted according to some recommendations from Cicourel (1982). Even following
these recommendations, there was no identification of the problems related to the relevance of
the information, very often, inevitable in the interviews for being a human interaction. Truly, the
researcher was attentive to these criteria designed by this author: quality, coherence, deepening
of the responses and uncertainty in the meanings.

The interview for being a social interaction is an activity that takes place in the territory of
different forces, an example of the affective and social psychologists (Morin, 1995). Regardless
of the advantages offered by the interview, the researcher was attentive to the psycho affective
nature of this resource that according to Morin (1995) it is an aspect that can compromise the
information and bring about problems, an example of falsehood and distorting of information.
This author recalls the debate about the validity of information, mainly because the interview is a
fundamental technique in a word. Even being a risky resource, expressive and revealing also can
be doubtful by the fact that it relies on speaking. To avoid this problem, the researcher was
throughout the interviews reflecting with the interviewees their declarations to avoid future
distortings and falsehood of the information.

Technical application of the focus group. The development of the computer assisted
communication and of the digital networks promoted new forms of the collective intelligence,
more flexible and democratic, which are fundamental in reciprocity. The virtual
deterritorialization, mainly with the Internet, has brought about new communication device of
collectivity called "all-all communication" (Lévy, 1996:112).

This type of communication is characterized by the enthusiasm about the Internet, sensation is
about the fact that it enters in a common brain, making part of an interior chaos, make a set of
changes, participate in changes of the collective intelligence, which self-criticises without
hierarchization.
 96

The focus group is a qualitative research technique made up of small groups of people that meet
to discuss a specific topic. Normally, there are six to ten people that very often do not know each
other, and discuss a certain theme, problem or a defined service. There is also a moderator
participating, whose task is to put the issues on the schedule and an observer. Different from
other techniques with groups and interviews, the interaction of the group is also a research data
to be considered and not simply a process of questioning and getting responses. The purpose of
the focus group is to generate ideas, opinions attitude and perspectives.

Through the use of new technologies in the academic-scientific activities, specifically the
Internet, there was a possibility for the respondents and the researcher to communicate through
e-mail, lists and discussion groups, via skype, substituting part of face to face conversations,
besides being used for data gathering for the research. The application of the focus group
technique can also occur through the Internet, as the qualitative studies gave priority the
researches carried out on a natural setting, that is, on the proper subjects environment. The
researcher goes to the users environment that can be, for example, their offices, their personal
computers.

Chase and Alvarez (2000) compared the process involved in an electronic form with the face-to-
face way of the focus group and their application in the science and information area. They
verified that the most significant differences were: the data of the analysis are uni-dimensional
(the text only), while on a face to face basis non verbal observations are also taken into account;
the data gathering is immediate, requiring the transcription of the recordings; depending on the
skills of the individuals in typing texts with speed; the expressions are limited to texts; and the
discussion can be lost easily due to lack of a face to face participation.

For O’Connor and Madge (2003) the silence occurring in meetings is difficult to be interpreted in
an electronic group, as well as there are difficulties in the definition of the order of the
collocations, that appear according to the speed in which the phrases are typed and sent. The
return not always appears in a sequence.

Clapper and Massey (1996) point the loss of non-verbal expressions as the major disadvantage of
the use of focal electronic groups. However, the despite the fact that the moderator and the
participants are not face to face, an environment can be created where all feel free to give their
 97

opinions, as they know they will not be intimidated by the expressions, voice intonation, clothing
and look from other people. The other disadvantage can result from the subjects that do not feel
confident because they are typing texts and the information is being registered and evaluated.

For the current research of the qualitative nature, the researcher chose, yet, the use of the focus
group technique, which was carried out on the Internet, through chat-rooms, as they are known.

For the selection of the participants, there were heterogeneity considerations on the geographical
origin regarding the professional category of those users in the virtual learning environments as
there has been proposed to work with a specific teacher´s group while teaching.

For the viability of the remote meetings of the focus groups it was decided to use the Internet
Relay Chat for being a free of charge program, of simple and fast manipulation in the
visualization of the responses.

The opinions of the participants were registered in an electronically file of the chat-rooms and
analyzed afterwards by the researcher that assumed also the role of the moderator in the meeting.
The observer of the discussions was one of the students of the graduation course, with experience
in the contact with the users via electronic mail that registered the subjective aspects of the talks
like: time and sequence of the responses, security expressed by the participants, among others.

There were no symbols used that express feelings on the Internet, known as emoticons, because
not every tool used provided such resource. Although it is an expression that the participant
wants to transmit and not the one that has been observed, these symbols could help in the
analysis of the information.

According to the period limit suggested by some authors (Cf. Chase & Alvarez, 2000; Crowley,
1996), the time for the duration of the meeting was of 60 minutes.

For the treatment of the data, there was data content analysis techniques used in an exploratory
approach based on the works of the qualitative research.

Based on the recommendations from Carlini-Cotrim (1996) for the analysis of data of the focal
group there was a need for verifying the responses through textual quotations of the group
participants, which illustrates the major analysis findings, and there was also an observation on
the repetitions, non repetitions or the absence of explaining categories of the discussions as well
as their respective contexts.
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Finally, the outlet from the field took place after the end of the research procedures and of
course, after the review of the information that allowed the researcher to analyze the gathered
material without needing to consult the interviewees again.

Observations. The observations carried out on the scope of this study relied mainly on the
achievement of several intervenients of the Distance Education based on e-learning, in the
development tasks of the teaching-learning process and the respective support to the learner, as
well as the evaluation methods, that is, the pedagogical management of the courses. The
researcher assumed the role of observer - participant during these observations. The outcomes of
these observations were equally being noted on the research diary.

Questionnaires. These instruments were the major source for obtaining information because
they were applied to all teachers of the sample. In this way, they were the basic source to the
access of information and for the knowledge of the teachers´ imagination of the selected sample.
The questionnaire (Appendix A) was filled in by the natural sciences and mathematics teachers
of the Second Cycle of the General Education, after a brief explanation of the meaning of each
section. After bringing back, the researcher started with the preliminary analysis of the
instrument for the acknowledgement of the possible incorrections. This procedure facilitates the
recovery of some data including the deepening of information.

The questionnaire allowed to obtain data from a set of pre-determined questions to the sample. It
was, however, a set of structured expressed questions in paper, aimed at exploring the opinion of
the people to whom it was addressed. The researcher used in this study the questionnaire mainly
the closed questions type. This kind of questions have advantages as they are able to conduct the
reactions of the inquired people to some categories that are easy to interpret. Some of the
questions were built to allow the evaluation of the attitude and opinions that were aimed at
having the quantified and direct knowledge of the behaviour of the subjects. The attitudes and
opinions had as their objective the graduation of the respective intensity, allowing the ordering of
the individuals throughout a scale. Since these techniques are criticized by their subjective
character and by the absence of a standardized measure, scales of attitudes and opinions (Likert)
were also used with the objective of overcoming such subjectivity through the use of a pre-built
system of propositions under which the participants took position.
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4.6.2 Quality of information

By being a work of the qualitative nature, the debate about the credibility of the outcomes is
replaced by the triangulation of the information sources. In this study, the information was
provided through questionnaires, deep interviews, focal groups and informal observations. The
purpose was to obtain a set of relevant information for this study and at the same time contrast
itself; the researcher wants to say that the outcomes of this study refer to a specific reality,
particularly, because they are opinions from a social group of a specific context that provided
information.

4.7 Validity and reliability of the instruments

The current study involved the use of the inquiries per questionnaire as well as profound
interviews. Two major aspects were associated to these instruments, namely: the reliability and
validity.

The reliability is an expression of consistence of the outcomes throughout the time. Reliability
means precision of the measuring method and it can be checked through consistence analysis or
stability of such method. A reliable method (test or a measuring instrument) must not produce
meaningfully different outcomes, if it is repeated on the same individual.

A test or a measuring instrument is valid if it is able to translate the greatness that needs to be
measured in a correct way. For example, the number of the years and months of the life of a
person is a valid measure of his or her age, the same cannot happen if we use his or her posture
to measure age.

While reliability is related to the consistence or stability of a measure, the validity is related to its
truth veracity. A measure can be very reliable (precise), but it can also be wrong and therefore
invalid. This is to say that reliability does not imply validity but it is a requirement to evaluate
the validity. That is, for a measure to be valid it must beforehand be more reliable. Consequently,
one must first of all evaluate the reliability of the instruments (or methods) of measurement, and
after that evaluate their validity.
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4.7.1 Reliability

There are several factors that influence the reliability of a method. For example, the person on
whom the measures are being made can have different reactions day after day. On the other side,
the method can only measure a part of the phenomenon of the interest and not serve for
characterizing the global form of the phenomenon.

There are several ways for checking the reliability of a method:

1. The same test or measurement can exactly be repeated with the same individuals and
compare the outcomes. This process is called test-retest.
2. There can be two tests or measurements supposingly equivalent and the outcomes
compared.
3. The tests or measurements can be subdivided into two equivalent parts (not always
possible) and examine the consistence of the outcomes in those parts. This process is
called split-half reliability.

There are basically two processes to quantify the reliability of a test or measurement:

1. The first is aimed at evaluating the viability of the measurements after their repetition
on the same individuals. The mostly used variability measurement is deviation measurement.
However, the same test or measurement is rarely used to the same individuals repeated times so
that there is estimation of the standard deviation. In this way, there are methods developed to
enable to obtain these estimations without having to repeat the same tests or measurements for
the same individuals;
2. The second and the most common consists of the calculation of the reliability of the
coefficient from the repeated measurements or comparisons split-half. Typically, based on the
two measurement sets (or because the same test was used twice on the same individual or
because the test was divided in two parts) there is a calculation of the correlation coefficient,
which is suitable to the type of such measurement.

A measurement can then be reliable if the standard deviation is reduced or if the reliability
coefficient (correlation) is raised. A form of reliability that very often is evaluated is called inter-
observer reliability (inter-observer reliability or inter-judge reliability). In this case there is a
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need for checking if different observers (evaluators) by using the same measurement methods
(tests or measurements) obtain the same consistent outcomes. It is a particular case of reliability
described above.

In this study, the reliability was ensured with the use of three forms of checking the reliability of
a method described above, namely: the test-retest, the use of two tests supposingly equivalent
and comparison of the outcomes as well as the split-half reliability.

4.7.2 Validity

The validity of a test (or measurement instrument) is not simple to check in most of the
situations. In general, it can be said that the more direct the form to measure a phenomenon in
cause the more valid will be the method used. For example, if there is an observation of what the
person eats during a meal one can get a more valid measure more that the consume of calories
than having to ask him or her afterwards what the person has eaten. To have valid measures it is,
however, convenient to consider different measurement methods and evaluate their comparative
validity. Unfortunately, and because it is difficult to evaluate the validity of the methods, most of
the times the validity is assumed till ones proofs wrong.

Schweigert (1994) distinguishes three types of validity: (criterion validity), (construct validity)
and (face validity). It is noted, however, that this classification is not the only one and there are
other forms of categorizing the types of validity of a method (Cf. For example Ventri &
Schiavetti, 1986).

1. The validity of a criterion is a degree with which a measurement method is correlated

with other methods already established for the same phenomenon. There are two types of
criterion validity: predictive (predictive validity) and concurrent (concurrent validity).
1.1 The predictive Validity is a degree with which the result of a test (or measure)
predicts the future behaviour of an individual. For example, the result of an intelligence test can
predict the school success of a child. If we keep the results of the intelligence test and if we
correlate them with the school results got afterwards we can have an idea of the degree of
agreement of the two measures. In general, for the evaluation of a predictive validity method it is
necessary to conduct a parallel study where there are kept some of the phenomenon measures
and presay whether they correlate with other measures got directly after they occur. This requires
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temporal availability (there is a need for waiting for the phenomenon to occur) and availability of
the experimental units aimed at this ending.
1.2. The concurrent Validity is a degree with which a new method is correlated with the
existing one and considered valid.
2. The conceptual validity is related to the measurement method of a concept (or
phenomenon). If a method is aimed at measuring a certain concept, then it must correlate itself
with other existing methods for the same concept. However, if the researcher concludes that the
method also correlates with the measurement methods of other concepts that are not considered
related to the concept in place, then it is necessary to be careful with what in fact is being
measured.
3. The face Validity has to do with the degree with which the method seems to measure
what in fact is aimed at measuring. For example, an exam about Mozambican literature will have
strong face validity if it is based on the excerpts of the Mozambican literature. This type of
validity seems to be what has less importance in a scientific research. This happens because a
method can have a raised face validity and therefore, not have any type of validity or reliability.
On the other side, a method may not have face and however, be very valid and reliable.
Regarding the enquiries, it is common to have participants requiring some type of face validity
under the risk of not responding to the inquiry by thinking that it has nothing to do with the issue
in place.

From what the researcher has just described, it can be concluded that to measure most of the
concepts of validity there is a need for using association measures (or correlations) such as the
proposals for measuring reliability.

We can also find the concept of validity associated with the observational studies (instead of
tests or specific measurement instruments) and in this case, it is necessary to classify the validity
in two types: internal and external.

The internal validity depends on the capacity of the study to respond the initial proposed issues.
It measures to what extent the outcomes of the study are product of the variables that were
selected, observed and measured and not the result of other variables that were not dealt with.
The external validity measures to what extent the outcomes got by the study can be generalized
for other situations with other individuals.
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A study can have internal validity and not have external validity. A study that does not have
internal validity can never have an external validity.

For that effect, in this study, besides the control of the researcher (external validity) there was a
need for involving other colleagues and experimental inquirers, teacher from Higher Education
Institutions in the process of validation of the methodological instruments used (external
validity). With this measure, the researcher tested the instruments with the natural science
teachers in Maputo city and Xai-Xai. This activity had a major role especially for the evaluation
of the problems and virtues of these instruments, for example, the clearness of the language, the
pertinence of the questions and other elements. In this way, the researcher considered the
recommendations from Cohen et al (2000) about the cares with the linguistic expressions that are
less familiar to the informers, mainly by the cultural differences between the researcher and the
interviewees. The analysis made by the experimental respondents was very important to
approach the questionnaire to the reality, to make it more attractive and able to facilitate its
interaction with the interviewees. In this way, it was useful for obtaining decisive information
about the thought of the teachers. The instruments were designed taking into account the
objectives of this study. For that, after the first script and after some suggestions for change, the
questionnaire and the interview were re –structured taking into account their pragmatic
dimension and the need to reach a consensus around to the objectives of the study to evaluate
(face validity) (Dane, 1990). From the comments and observations on the experimental
respondents generated the version of the most suitable instruments to the objectives of this study.
This process of validation of instruments and agreeing with Ketele e Roegiers (1999), ensured
the researcher to what he aimed at gathering with the information.

4.8 Ethical Issues

“Even with the considerations related to the informed consentment and protection of the human
subjects, as much as they are traditionally formulated, they are not very suitable to the qualitative
approach, the ethical issues are obviously of interest” (Burgess, 1984 cited by Bogdan & Biklen,
1994:76).
 104

In this way, to fulfill the inquiries by questionnaire and interviews, the researcher was always
concerned with verifying the availability of the participants through a previous contact where the
following diligences were observed:

 Inform the respondents about the outcomes that were expected with the fulfilment
of the inquiry and the interview;
 Explain the reason why there was a selection, and letting them know the
importance of their contribution for the study that was aimed at developing;
 Inform the respondents about the duration that was expected for the fulfillment of
the inquiry or the interview and negotiate with them, the exact time and the place.

Taking into account that the profound interviews were held with focal teacher groups, the
researcher considered that is was not very important to move the respondents from their natural
setting, that is, the proper subjects’ environment. The researcher went to the user´s environment
that was in this case their offices, their personal computer or their school. This situation allowed
understanding their language and their codes.

During this process, there was a guarantee that they were going to be kept anonymous and the
confidentiality of the outcomes that this research would produce through non-revelation of the
participants’ identity. Besides, Bogdan and Biklen (1994:75) defend that:

Two issues dominate the current panorama on the scope of ethics related to the research
with human subjects; (i) the informed consentment (ii) and the protection of the subjects
against any type of damages. Such norms try to ensure the following:
• The subjects offer themselves freely to adhere to the research projects, knowing
the nature of the study and the danger as well as responsibilities involved.
• The subjects are not exposed to higher risks to the gains that rise afterwards.

On the other side, Cohen et al (2000:245) states “the questionnaire will always be an intrusion
into the life of the respondent, be it in terms of time taken to complete the questionnaire, the
level of threat or sensitivity of the questions, or the possible invasion of privacy. Questionnaire
respondents are not passive data providers for researchers; they are subjects not objects of
research. There are several sequiturs that flow from this”.
 105

These authors provide a long list of factors that have an impact in all stages of the use of the
questionnaire. In this way, Cohen et al (2000: 246) refer, among other factors that the
involvement of respondents in the research is likely to be a function of:

 “…the potential of the research to improve their situation (the issue of

beneficence);
 …the degree of threat or sensitivity of the questions (which may lead to
respondents’ over-reporting or under-reporting);
 factors in the questionnaire itself (e.g. its coverage of issues, its ability to catch
what respondents want to say rather than to promote the researcher’s agenda), i.e.
the avoidance of bias and the assurance of validity and reliability in the
questionnaire – the issues of methodological rigour and fairness. Methodological
rigour is an ethical, not simply a technical, matter (Morrison, 1996c), and
respondents have a right to expect reliability and validity;
 the reactions of the respondent, for example respondents will react if they
consider an item to be offensive, intrusive, misleading, biased, misguided,
irritating, inconsiderate, impertinent or abstruse”.

4.9 Research respondents´profile

In this section, the researcher proposes with the use of the statistical SPSS package, recover and
analyze some basic information for the design of the profile of research participants. The speech
and the imaginary of the individuals are not aleatory or artificial contents but the result of a
personal and professional trajectory.

The selection of the participants of the research, generally, is a procedure that identifies itself
more with the objectives of the research than to the circumstances of life of the participants.
Starting from this, there is a justification of the characterization of the participants of this study
with the important item in the process analysis and the understanding of the information, meanly,
by the entailment between the personal and professional history of the individuals that provide
the information.

The participants of the research are people with higher training that are fulfilling tasks in the
teaching-learning process of the natural sciences and mathematics in the Second Cycle of
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General Education. According to Gronroos (1988) and Parasuraman (1994), the quality of
services is measured in the end of a process, that is, the outlet of a product. In this way, the
participants of this research were people of the outlet of the process, that is, people that at a
certain time of their professional career had attended an initial teacher-training course. The level
of training of the participants of this research can be seen on the table 4.2.

Table 4.2: Participants´Academic training

Educational degree

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Grade 12 26 9.8 9.8 9.8
Bachelor 50 18.9 18.9 28.7
Graduated 184 69.4 69.4 98.1
Master 4 1.5 1.5 99.6
PhD 1 .4 .4 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0

The age group of the participants of the research varied according to the figure 4.2.

Age group
> 50 years old

.8%

41 - 50 years old
24.9%
20 - 30 years old
38.5%

31 - 40 years old

35.8%

Figure 4.2: Age group of the participants

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In terms of gender, the participation in the study was more male (81.9%), what is a contradiction
with the literature data that advocate more women participation in education (Cf. Figure 4.3 as
well as Table 4.3).

Female
18.1%

Male

81.9%

Figure 4.3: Distribution of the participants per sex

Table 4.3: Distribution of the participants per sex and per country region

Sex * Country Region Crosstabulation

Country Region
Southern Central Northen
Region Region Region Total
Sex Female Count 36 5 7 48
% within Sex 75.0% 10.4% 14.6% 100.0%
% within Country Region 20.3% 7.8% 29.2% 18.1%
% of Total 13.6% 1.9% 2.6% 18.1%
Male Count 141 59 17 217
% within Sex 65.0% 27.2% 7.8% 100.0%
% within Country Region 79.7% 92.2% 70.8% 81.9%
% of Total 53.2% 22.3% 6.4% 81.9%
Total Count 177 64 24 265
% within Sex 66.8% 24.2% 9.1% 100.0%
% within Country Region 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
% of Total 66.8% 24.2% 9.1% 100.0%
 108

The average age of the participants was 34 years. If there were major differences in the
participants´s opinions, one possible explanation would be the age factor. On the other side, for
not existing wider differences between the expressed opinions by the participants, the age factor
can be shown for this type of project not to flow in a meaningful way on the participants. At the
same time, the age relatively homogeneous among the participants of the research, provided a
more pacific discussion about the issue, as one of the cares mentioned previously on how to
select the participants of the sample was fairly the homogeneity among the participants regarding
the age and academic training. The quality of the sample selected is shown on the figures 4.4, 4.5
and 4.6.

Professional category
N3 Teacher

14.0%

N2 Teacher
19.6%

N1 Teacher

66.4%

Figure 4.4: Professional Category of the participants

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Table 4.3: Distribution of the participants per Professional Category

Professional category

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid N1 Teacher 176 66.4 66.4 66.4
N2 Teacher 52 19.6 19.6 86.0
N3 Teacher 37 14.0 14.0 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0

In service for

More than 20 years

17.0%

Less than 5 years

38.5%
11 to 20 years
14.7%

5 to10 years

29.8%

Figure 4.5: working time of the participants

 110

160

140
141

120

100

80

60
59 Country Region
40 Southern Region
36
20 Central Region
Count

17
0 Northen Region
Female Male

Sex

Figure 4.6: Distribution of the participants per sex and per country region

The professional category (Cf. Figure 4.4) and the working time (Cf. Figure 4.5) of the
respondents provided more consistence of the results got because of, in part, the powerful
internal control of the quality of the participants on the study permanently exercised by the
researcher.

A common characteristic to all participants was the fact that all were directly involved, in their
professional activity, like the learning/teaching process and the opinions given were probably
experimented in their daily work. This characteristic is according to one of the five
characteristics of the review of the literature about Focus Group - homogeneity of the group.
One of the factors that lead to this homogeneity is to how the living of each participant has a
relationship with the object of the study. In this way, the issues related to the representativeness
of the sample of the study were ensured beforehand.
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Chapter 5

This chapter is aimed to presenting and discussing the findings of the field research which enabled
the realization of the first phase of this study which consists in diagnose the situation of Information
and Communication Technology’s use by the teachers of maths and natural sciences in the general
Secondary Education in Mozambique.

The empirical study was an opportunity to get in touch with the reality and became a sort of frontier
between the theory and practice, specially, because the instruments and research theories do capture
other dimensions that are not possible to capture through bibliographical revision. The empirical
work was, with no doubt, the phase where the researcher had the opportunity to identify and
analyze social representations of the subjects of this study.

The opportunity to contact the reality helped the researcher to effectively recognize the object of
study and reflection possibilities about it. Approaching the reality enabled to identify possible
connections that the researcher could, truly, establish between theory and reality.

5.1 Presentation and analyze of results

In the following section are presented the results of focus group discussions with teachers of math’s
and natural sciences in the general Secondary Education in Mozambique. After this, questionnaire
results are discussed as well as interviews results obtained from a part of sample, object of this
study. Finally, there is a brief conclusion based on the interaction between the researcher and senior
staff of an institution of higher education in charge of teachers’ initial training course.

5.1.1 Results of discussion with focal groups

The focal group technique via the Internet pointed out negative and positive aspects related, which
are described below.

One of the difficulties encountered was the limited availability of chat rooms of free access and
restricted to small groups normally open to the entry of unknown persons, making the guidance of
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the group harder in some ways. Before the definition of the chat room other tools were tested in
discussion forums, but the result was not favorable to meet the proposed objectives.

Another difficulty was the unavailability of this technology in the selected schools, what required a
local computer specialist to conduct the installation of the software, which is free.

Another aspect to be observed and that hindered the participant's membership to the online group is
the amount of information required for the registration and use of chat rooms. The focus group
meeting took place without major surprises, involving 11% of the sample covered in the survey
(See Table 4.1), and comprised by twenty-eight teachers divided into four groups. The composition
of each group was within what is suggested by researchers (7 to10 elements) due to the use of
electronic technology. One of the research participants noted that if the group were bigger it would
be difficult to follow:

"... If they were more participants it would have been even more difficult to read everything
and talk about everything! "

The fact that the research was conducted with the help of an instrument unknown to many teachers
had also been a barrier. Other operational problems were also detected. The slowness of the system
was highlighted by some participants. Others had difficulty in displaying all the answers and they
were unanimous in stating:

"It is a pit the fact that the technology is still somewhat difficult"
The same happened with another participant in the meeting who said:
"My page is not rolling ..."
Some participants were surprised with other technical details:
"... Excuse me mates, I discovered that the chat does not accept accent ..."
"... The screen is too narrow to read messages".
As for typing, it was common to hear:
"... People, I am horrified with my typing mistakes"
"In Americans chats it is chic to make typing mistake. It is fortuitous ..."
In the other side, this technique was considered positive for almost all participants, who have put
their views at the meeting when asked about the focus group through chat rooms:
 113

"... I hope it was useful for the purpose ... I enjoyed taking part. "
"... I really enjoyed it. I know 'real' focal groups and I thought that this virtual, ends up resembling
each other as long as people feel free to give their opinion other participants in the talks, agreeing
or disagreeing, rather than being restricted to just answer what is asked by the moderator".
"I found the experience interesting. Sometimes the process is a little slow, but it is an excellent
mean of communication. The teens can confirm. They “spend” hours and hours on MSN ..."
"I never had this kind of experience, but it was very nice. I think to do this has to be something very
specific and short, right? (...) And I agree, our problem was that the technology does not go as fast
as our thinking and willingness to talk. ";
"I think it is cool but kind of frustrating when speed does not allow us to participate exactly in real
time."
In these last two opinions there is a difficulty of participation "in properly real time," because the
texts are appearing in the sequence they are sent; sometimes appear two or three paragraphs at the
same time making reading and coordination of ideas difficult.

Who type more slowly sends the response after the others, when other questions are being
answered. This was observed during the discussion. One way to resolve is to request that the
participants must wait for the responses of all and then other questions can be arisen again. This
disadvantage was mentioned in the work of O'Connor and Madge (2003).

Krueger and Casey (2000) recommend a pause between the questions in face-to-face focal groups,
what should also be done in the electronic focal group. For this operation could be placed on certain
characters or words such as "break" or "wait" so that all participants can wait for continuity.

Munro and Zeidmsan-Karpinski (2003) provide guidelines for using chat rooms, noting that
grammatical misspellings and typing mistakes are common due to the speed with which the texts
are typed. These researchers recommend the use of short, simple sentences. Other aspects that
influence the quality is the ability of the computer and network speed, which should be similar
between the group members, since the settings must be interpreted in real time.

Smith et al. (2000) deal with the difficulties of using chat rooms, adding that there is a social
context for those who read the results of a meeting in these rooms. Thus, the records must be read
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immediately after being raised to avoid the loss of the event chronology (social historic). They
propose a program of the chat room called "chat line" for participants to enter their placement next
to the subject matter.

Thus it is concluded that the facilities brought by the focal groups over the Internet is the ability to
bring people of different places, staying in their classrooms, offices, finally, in places of their
acquaintance, without travel costs, accommodation and meals.

5.1.2 Results of the questionnaires

According to table 4.1 (Chapter 4) on the array of data gathering, the survey questionnaire
(Appendix A) was kindly answered by 265 teachers of the general Secondary Education.

Under the guidance of authors Selltiz, Wrightsman and Cook (1987) there is some operational
advantages in the use of questionnaire to perform a research. First, it is less expensive to apply, and
second, it avoids potential biases of an interviewer and, finally, there’s more time allocated to
respond, there is no psychological pressure that leads to hasty answers and without the necessary
reflection.

Concluding the questionnaire, the construction of the scale contemplated the model created by
Rensis Likert in 1932, called for the Likert scale. This scale is an instrument that seeks to raise the
attitudes toward a set of assertions and, therefore, respondents are asked to agree or disagree with
statements, according to a hierarchy that allows an explicit opinion providing a strong agreement to
strong disagreement with the statement. For each choice is given a score ranging from 5 to 1, so that
they can be worked out in a quantitative manner providing their graphic representation in frequency
histograms.

In this study, the researcher used the following options: Strongly Agree (SA), Partially Agree (PA),
Undecided or Indifferent (I), Partially Disagree (PD), Totally Disagree (TD). So that the choices
could be treated mathematically, a conversion was used, which assign a value to each action: five
(5) = fully agree; four (4) = partially agree, 3 (three) = indifferent; two (2) = partially disagree, one
(1) = strongly disagree.
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Figure 5.1: National distribution of the selected schools

 116

Tables 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 below illustrate the degree of participation of the selected teachers.

Table 5.1: Response rate of the sample selected in the Southern region of Mozambique

Selected Schools Selected sample N

Province School name n Valid Missing Valid %
SOUTHERN REGION
Escola Secundária Josina Machel 10 7 3 70
Escola Secundária Francisco Manyanga 10 7 3 70
Escola Secundária da Polana 5 5 0 100
Escola Seundária de Laulane 5 5 0 100
MAPUTO-CITY

Escola Secundária Quisse Mavota 5 5 0 100

Escola Secundária Eduardo Mondlane 5 5 0 100
Escola Secundária Armando Emílio Guebuza 5 5 0 100
Escola Secundária de Malhazine 10 8 2 80
Escola Secundária Noroeste I 10 7 3 70
Escola Secundária de Lhanguene 5 4 1 80
Escola Secundária da Zona Verde 5 5 0 100
Escola Secundária da Matola 11 11 0 100
PROVÍNCE
MAPUTO-

Escola Secundária Joaquim Chissano-Boane 9 9 0 100

Escola Secundária da Manhiça 5 5 0 100
Escola Secundária da Namaacha 5 3 2 60
Escola Secundária Joaquim Chissano – Xai-Xai 14 14 0 100
Escola Secundária de Xai-Xai 5 4 1 80
Escola Secundária de Chicumbane 5 4 1 80
Escola Secundária de Chongoene 5 2 3 40
Escola Secundária de Chibuto 5 4 1 80
GAZA

Escola Secundária de Chokwé 8 8 0 100

Escola Secundária de Guijá 5 4 1 80
Escola Secundária de Manjacaze 5 4 1 80
Escola Secundária John Issa - Macia 5 3 2 60
Escola Secundária Graça Machel - Massingir 5 5 0 100
Escola Secundária de Mapai 5 3 2 60
Escola Secundária Emília Daússe - Inhambane 6 6 0 100
Escola Secundária 29 de Setembro – Maxixe 9 9 0 100
INHAMBANE

Escola Secundária de Cambine – Morrumbene 5 5 0 100

Escola Secundária de Massinga 6 6 0 100
Escola Secundária de Mucoque - Vilanculos 5 5 0 100
31 TOTAL 203 176 27 86.1%
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Figure 5.2: Distribution of the selected schools in the Southern region of Mozambique

Table 5.2: Response rate of the sample selected in the Central region of Mozambique

Selected Schools Selected sample

Province School name n Valid Missing Valid %
CENTRAL REGION
SOFALA Escola Secundária Samora Machel - Beira 10 7 3 70
Escola Secundária Samora Machel - Chimoio 5 5 0 100
MANICA
Escola Secundária de Macombe - Gondola 5 5 0 100
Escola Secundária de Tete 5 5 0 100
Escola Secundária Emília Daússe - Changara 5 4 1 80
TETE

Escola Secundária de Moatize 5 4 1 80

Escola Secundária de Ulongué - Angónia 5 4 1 80
Escola Secundária de Songo 5 3 2 60
Escola Secundária 25 de Setembro 5 5 0 100
Escola Secundária Patrice Lumumba 5 5 0 100
ZAMBÉZIA

Escola Secundária de Alto Molocué 5 5 0 100

Escola Secundária de Gurué 5 5 0 100
Escola Secundária de Nicoadala 5 5 0 100
Escola Secundária de Mocuba 5 2 3 40

14 TOTAL 75 64 11 86.43%
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Figure 5.3: Distribution of the selected schools in the Central region of Mozambique

Table 5.3: Response rate of the sample selected in the Northen region of Mozambique

Selected Schools Selected sample N

Province School name n Valid Missing Valid %
NORTHEN REGION
Escola Secundária de Nampula 5 5 0 100
NAMPULA

Escola Secundária 12 de Outubro 5 5 0 100

Escola Secundária Namicopo 5 5 0 100
Escola Secundária de Nacal-Porto 5 5 0 100
CABO- Escola Secundária de Pemba 5 2 3 40
DELGADO
Escola Secundária de Montepuez 5 2 3 40

6 TOTAL 30 24 6 80.0%

Figure 5.4: Distribution of the selected schools in the Northern region of Mozambique
 119

As it can be seen from the tables presented above the general rate of response from the selected
sample was 84.18%, which allows the researcher to infer the entire population of this study.

Data Analysis

The exploratory character of the study conducted with teachers of the general Secondary Education
from all over the territory of the Republic of Mozambique (with the exception of Niassa Province)
had the gathering and processing data from December, 2008 to March 30, 2010.

This data set was subjected to a descriptive analysis and it was carried out using the software
SPSS® (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) that allowed characterization of the teachers
participating in this study. It was also applied the factor analysis in order to give consistency to a
given set of numerical variables as well as graphical analysis of frequency histograms of the
teachers opinions expressed in the Likert scale.

The factor analysis allowed the verification of internal consistency of a group of data that were
collected from teachers of the general Secondary Education. It is important to understand that the
outcome of this analysis, according to Pestana and Gageiro (2000: 389) provides:

The assessment of the validity of the constitutive variables of the factors, indicating
in which extent it refers to the same concepts through the correlation between them.
[...] Also seeks to simplify the data by reducing the number of necessary variables.

The main purpose of the graphical representation is to display characteristics of the variable in the
study sample, that is; statistical sampling, in a simple and affordable mental acquisition (Maroco,
2007).

Descriptive analysis: characterization of the teachers

During the period of the data gathering, it was possible to obtain the participation of 265 teachers
working in fifty one schools of the nine provinces of Mozambique selected for this study (see
Tables 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3). From the total of 265 respondents, 48 are female, representing 18.1% of
the population and 217 teachers are male, accounting for 81.9%, as shown in Figure 5.5 below.
Figure 5.6 shows the percentage distribution of teachers in this study in terms of length of service.
 120

The sample size of this study was designed taking into consideration the table designed by Smith
(1975), with a significance level of 99%.

Table 5.4: Sample distribution by gender

Sex Female

18.1%
Frequency Percent
Valid Female 48 18.1
Male 217 81.9
Total 265 100.0

Male
81.9%

Figure 5.5: Sample distribution by gender

≥ 5 (years),
The largest number of teachers surveyed have a considerable teaching experience
which guarantees the quality of the sample and the consistency of the responses.

In service for

More than 20 years

17.0%

Less than 5 years

38.5%
11 to 20 years

14.7%

5 to10 years
29.8%

Figure 5.6: Percentage distribution of sample by length of service

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Table 5.5: List of Secondary schools surveyed in the Southern region of Mozambique

Selected Schools Sex In service for

Province School name Fem Male Total <5 5 to 10 11 to 20 > 20 Total
years years years years (n)
SOUTHERN REGION
Escola Secundária Josina Machel 1 6 7 1 4 1 1 7
Escola Secundária Francisco Manyanga 2 5 7 3 3 1 0 7
Escola Secundária da Polana 3 2 5 0 2 2 1 5
MAPUTO-CITY

Escola Seundária de Laulane 2 3 5 1 2 1 1 5

Escola Secundária Quisse Mavota 2 3 5 1 2 0 2 5
Escola Secundária Eduardo Mondlane 1 4 5 0 2 0 3 5
Escola Secundária Armando Emílio Guebuza 1 4 5 0 1 1 3 5
Escola Secundária de Malhazine 0 8 8 0 3 2 3 8
Escola Secundária Noroeste I 1 6 7 4 1 2 0 7
Escola Secundária de Lhanguene 2 2 4 2 1 1 0 4
Escola Secundária da Zona Verde 2 3 5 0 3 2 0 5
Escola Secundária da Matola 3 8 11 4 4 0 3 11
PROVÍNCE
MAPUTO-

Escola Secundária Joaquim Chissano-Boane 3 6 9 2 4 1 2 9

Escola Secundária da Manhiça 0 5 5 2 2 1 0 5
Escola Secundária da Namaacha 0 3 3 3 0 0 0 3
Escola Secundária Joaquim Chissano – Xai-Xai 0 14 14 6 7 0 1 14
Escola Secundária de Xai-Xai 1 3 4 2 0 0 2 4
Escola Secundária de Chicumbane 2 2 4 0 3 1 0 4
Escola Secundária de Chongoene 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 2
Escola Secundária de Chibuto 1 3 4 2 1 1 0 4
GAZA

Escola Secundária de Chokwé 1 7 8 5 1 1 1 8

Escola Secundária de Guijá 2 2 4 2 0 1 1 4
Escola Secundária de Manjacaze 0 4 4 4 0 0 0 4
Escola Secundária de Macia 0 3 3 1 0 1 1 3
Escola Secundária Graça Machel - Massingir 0 5 5 4 1 0 0 5
Escola Secundária de Mapai 0 3 3 2 1 0 0 3
Escola Secundária Emília Daússe - Inhambane 0 6 6 1 3 1 1 6
INHAMBANE

Escola Secundária 29 de Setembro – Maxixe 3 6 9 2 5 0 2 9

Escola Secundária de Cambine – Morrumbene 1 4 5 3 2 0 0 5
Escola Secundária de Massinga 0 6 6 1 2 2 1 6
Escola Secundária de Mucoque - Vilanculos 2 3 5 3 2 0 0 5

31 TOTAL 36 141 177 62 63 23 29 177

The Republic of Moçambique is divided into eleven (11) provinces and territorially is organized in
three (3) regions: North, Center and South. These regions present different characteristics and possess
as polar regions the cities of Maputo (South Zone), Beira (Zone Center) and Nampula (Zone North).
The distribution of the selected schools for this study is of 61% for the South zone, 27% for the zone
Center and the remaining 12% belong to the North zone.
 122

Table 5.6: List of Secondary schools surveyed in the central region of Mozambique

In service for
Selected Schools Sex
Province <5 5 to 10 11 to 20 > 20 Total
School name Fem Male Total
years years years years (n)
CENTRAL REGION
SOFALA Escola Secundária Samora Machel - Beira 2 5 7 0 0 1 6 7
Escola Secundária Samora Machel - Chimoio 0 5 5 2 0 1 2 5
MANICA
Escola Secundária de Macombe-Gondola 0 5 5 2 2 1 0 5
Escola Secundária de Tete 0 5 5 2 2 0 1 5
Escola Secundária Emília Daússe - Changara 0 4 4 0 1 3 0 4
TETE

Escola Secundária Heróis Moçambicanos-Moatize 0 4 4 2 0 2 0 4

Escola Secundária de Ulongué - Angónia 0 4 4 3 1 0 0 4
Escola Secundária de Songo 0 3 3 3 0 0 0 3
Escola Secundária 25 de Setembro 1 4 5 2 0 0 3 5
Escola Secundária Patrice Lumumba 0 5 5 2 1 2 0 5
ZAMBÉZIA

Escola Secundária de Nicoadala 1 4 5 3 1 1 0 5

Escola Secundária de Gurué 1 4 5 4 0 1 0 5
Escola Secundária de Alto-Molocué 0 5 5 5 0 0 0 5
Escola Secundária de Mocuba 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 2
13 TOTAL 5 59 64 31 9 12 12 64

Table 5.7: List of Secondary schools surveyed in the Northen region of Mozambique

Selected Schools Sex In service for

Total <5 5 to 10 11 to 20 > 20 Total
Province School name Fem Male years years years years (n)
NORTHEN REGION
Escola Secundária de Nampula 2 3 5 1 2 1 1 5
Escola Secundária 12 de Outubro 0 5 5 0 1 1 3 5
Nampula
Escola Secundária Namicopo 2 3 5 2 2 1 0 5
Escola Secundária de Nacala-Porto 2 3 5 2 2 1 0 5
CABO- Escola Secundária de Pemba 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2
DELGADO
Escola Secundária de Montepuez 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 2
6 TOTAL 7 17 24 9 7 4 4 24

The fact that it appears greater preponderance of males participants (81.9%) compared to female
encourages the researcher for further work in order to study different populations where the female
presence is more significant, or even consider situations where the age group presents a lower
concentration at certain ages.
 123

Country Region

Northen Region
9.1%
Central Region
24.2%

Southern Region

66.8%

Figure 5.7: Percentage of respondents (teachers) by geographic zones of the country.

The percentage distribution of teachers, by region, who participated in this study, is shown in
Figure 5.7 above. From this graphical representation it appears that the South region of
Mozambique has a significant holding in respect of the other two regions, confirming the already
identified asymmetry in the distribution of school network of this subsystem of education in
Mozambique.

Tables 5.8, 5.9 and 5.10 below, show that there are teachers with a particular professional category
which does not correspond to their level of training (for example, teachers with a University degree
holding the N3 professional category). This fact interferes certainly in the motivation and
commitment of this group of teachers. The motivation and commitment are involved in the teachers'
behavior in school organizations: The motivation for indicating the reasons for the action of
teachers; the commitment, because it is related to the intensity of connection that the teacher has
with the school.
 124

Table 5.8: Training vs. Professional category of teachers in the South of Mozambique

Selected Schools Educational degree Professional category

Province School name

Gradueted
Grade 12

Bachelor

Teacher

Teacher

Teacher
Master

PhD

N1

N2

N3
SOUTHERN REGION
Escola Secundária Josina Machel 0 0 6 0 1 7 0 0
Escola Secundária Francisco Manyanga 0 0 7 0 0 7 0 0
Escola Secundária da Polana 0 0 4 1 0 5 0 0
Escola Seundária de Laulane 0 0 5 0 0 4 1 0
MAPUTO-CITY

Escola Secundária Quisse Mavota 0 0 5 0 0 4 1 0

Escola Secundária Eduardo Mondlane 0 0 5 0 0 4 0 1
Escola Secundária Armando Emílio Guebuza 0 0 4 1 0 4 1 0
Escola Secundária de Malhazine 1 1 5 1 0 6 1 1
Escola Secundária Noroeste I 0 0 7 0 0 7 0 0
Escola Secundária de Lhanguene 0 1 3 0 0 2 2 0
Escola Secundária da Zona Verde 0 0 5 0 0 5 0 0
Escola Secundária da Matola 0 0 11 0 0 10 0 1
PROVÍNCE
MAPUTO-

Escola Secundária Joaquim Chissano-Boane 0 2 7 0 0 7 1 1

Escola Secundária da Manhiça 0 2 3 0 0 3 1 1
Escola Secundária da Namaacha 0 1 2 0 0 2 1 0
Escola Secundária Joaquim Chissano – Xai-Xai 0 3 10 1 0 9 3 2
Escola Secundária de Xai-Xai 0 2 2 0 0 2 2 0
Escola Secundária de Chicumbane 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0
Escola Secundária de Chongoene 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0
Escola Secundária de Chibuto 0 1 3 0 0 3 1 0
GAZA

Escola Secundária de Chokwé 0 2 6 0 0 6 2 0

Escola Secundária de Guijá 0 2 2 0 0 2 2 0
Escola Secundária de Manjacaze 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0
Escola Secundária de Macia 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 0
Escola Secundária Graça Machel - Massingir 0 1 4 0 0 3 2 0
Escola Secundária de Mapai 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 0
Escola Secundária Emília Daússe - Inhambane 4 0 2 0 0 2 0 4
INHAMBANE

Escola Secundária 29 de Setembro – Maxixe 6 0 3 0 0 3 0 6

Escola Secundária de Cambine – Morrumbene 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
Escola Secundária de Massinga 2 2 2 0 0 2 2 2
Escola Secundária de Mucoque - Vilanculos 0 2 3 0 0 2 3 0

One situation which drew the attention of the researcher is the fact that there are teachers with
grade 12 teaching mathematics and natural sciences of the second cycle of general education. The
negative results of the examinations in 2008 and 2009 associated with other socio-economic factors
may be symptomatic of this factor. This group represents 9.8% of the total number of respondents.
The remaining respondents have qualifications required for the exercise of the profession: 18.9%
 125

are bachelors, 69.4% are graduated, 1.5% has a master degree and one respondent is a PhD.

Table 5.9: Training vs. Professional category of teachers in the Center of Mozambique

Selected Schools Educational degree Professional category

Province School name

Gradueted
Grade 12

Bachelor

Teacher

Teacher

Teacher
Master

PhD

N1

N2

N3
CENTRAL REGION
SOFALA Escola Secundária Samora Machel - Beira 0 2 5 0 0 4 3 0
MANICA Escola Secundária Samora Machel - Chimoio 0 1 4 0 0 4 1 0
Escola Secundária de Macombe-Gondola 0 1 4 0 0 5 0 0
Escola Secundária de Tete 0 1 4 0 0 4 1 0
Escola Secundária Emília Daússe - Changara 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0
TETE

Escola Secundária Heróis Moçambicanos-Moatize 0 3 1 0 0 1 3 0

Escola Secundária de Ulongué - Angónia 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0
Escola Secundária de Songo 0 1 2 0 0 2 1 0
Escola Secundária 25 de Setembro 0 3 2 0 0 2 3 0
Escola Secundária Patrice Lumumba 0 5 0 0 0 0 2 3
ZAMBÉZIA

Escola Secundária de Nicoadala 1 2 2 0 0 0 4 1

Escola Secundária de Gurué 0 2 3 0 0 2 3 0
Escola Secundária de Alto-Molocué 3 2 0 0 0 0 2 3
Escola Secundária de Mocuba 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

Table 5.10: Training vs. Professional category of teachers in the North of Mozambique

Selected Schools Educational degree Professional category

Province School name
Gradueted
Grade 12

Bachelor

Teacher

Teacher

Teacher
Master

PhD

N1

N2

N3
NORTHEN REGION
Nampula Escola Secundária de Nampula 0 1 3 1 0 4 1 0
Escola Secundária 12 de Outubro 0 2 3 0 0 4 0 1
Escola Secundária Namicopo 0 0 5 0 0 4 0 1
Escola Secundária de Nacala-Porto 0 0 5 0 0 5 0 0
CABO-
DELGADO
Escola Secundária de Pemba 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1
Escola Secundária de Montepuez 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1

These findings lead us to think of Distance Education in a new light. Distance Education is not a
fad: it is part of an extensive and continuous process of changes, which includes not only the
democratization of access to higher levels of education and permanent updating as well as the
 126

adoption of new educational paradigms, on which basis are the concepts of totality, of learning as
personal and social phenomenon, the training of autonomous individuals capable of finding,
creating and learning throughout life and to intervene in the world they live. Thus, the distance
courses offered in virtual learning environments designed to train and improve teachers' work can
reach the most remote places in the country, demonstrating their potential to democratize education.
And they can also be an excellent strategy while building knowledge, mastering technology,
develop skills and abilities and discuss ethical standards that will benefit later students of these
teachers. That is to say, a good distance learning course offers students not only learning autonomy
but also leaves the teacher ready to work with students in a more rich, modern and dynamic
environment.

This, however, only happens with a distance education committed to quality. And quality in
distance education is like fishing net: there are many of knots which come together to achieve an
objective. The weakness in one of the knots can compromise the final result.

Table 5.11: Academic qualifications of the teachers surveyed

Educational degree

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Grade 12 26 9.8 9.8 9.8
Bachelor 50 18.9 18.9 28.7
Graduated 184 69.4 69.4 98.1
Master 4 1.5 1.5 99.6
PhD 1 .4 .4 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0
 127

educational degree

PhD

.4%

Master Grade 12
1.5% 9.8%

Bachelor

18.9%

Graduated

69.4%

Figure 5.8: Graphical representation of the academic qualifications of the teachers surveyed

Regarding the age of respondents, the highest incidence is between 20 and 30 years with 38.5%
followed by age group between 31 and 40 years with 35.8%. The percentage distribution of age
groups is shown in the table 5.12 below. For the researcher, the fact that 74.3% of teachers
surveyed are still young, enable the competent entity to design training programs more robust and
consistent, able to become effective in the Mozambican education system, contributing to the
achievement of the objectives of Education for All.

Table 5.12: Age array of teachers surveyed

Age group

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid 20 - 30 years old 102 38.5 38.5 38.5
31 - 40 years old 95 35.8 35.8 74.3
41 - 50 years old 66 24.9 24.9 99.2
more than 50 years old 2 .8 .8 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0
 128

Age group
> 50 years old

.8%
41 - 50 years old
24.9%
20 - 30 years old
38.5%

31 - 40 years old

35.8%

Figure 5.9: Graphical representation of the age of the teachers surveyed

However, from the researcher's point of view, the teachers surveyed are isolated, living like in an
"island". Note that only 18.5% of teachers surveyed have an Internet connection at home (See Table
5.13).

Table 5.13: Teachers respondents with Internet at home

Is there any Internet access at home (excluding cellphone)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid 1 .4 .4 .4
Yes 48 18.1 18.1 18.5
No 216 81.5 81.5 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0

The difficulty of access for the teachers of maths and natural sciences in the general Secondary
Education in Mozambique to Internet makes the intellectual development of this social group
difficult. Free access to the Internet should be seen as a positive symptom of human development.
The accessibility to the information and communication technology should be considered as a
factor of life quality. For most people technology makes life easier.
 129

The new technologies open new horizons for an autonomous path of learning, that is, the self-
directed learning. Today it is increasingly required for all persons, and particularly for the teachers,
that they learn throughout life. The control over the learning cannot be conceptualized
independently of the context that involves this learning (Baskett, 1991; Candy, 1991). Therefore,
the control that the individual takes on learning is very dependent on the knowledge that it has on
the subject of learning. The Internet presents itself as a powerful resource, enabling people to
acquire new knowledge, ideas and perspectives, exchange information, etc.., or, contributing to
greater control over the learning process (Moura, 1997).

Several authors see on the new technologies an excellent means of applying the principles for
constructivist learning (Brown, 1998; Pereira, 1995; Tejedor, 2000). These offer to the individual
the opportunity to learn through collaborative activities that promote knowledge. The existence of
different alternative paths towards the information needed as well as the easy access to that
information are very important factors for building a personal approach to learning. And when one
speaks of a personal approach to learning, just not in any way imply isolation or independence. The
concepts of autonomy and self-directed learning require interaction with others: it is this interaction
that allows the person greater control over their learning (Candy, 1991). In this context, the Internet
offers the possibility to the person asking for help and benefit from this support, facilitating their
access to updated information (D'Eça, 1998).

The notion of a networked world requires an interconnection of people and ideas from many
different corners of the world. This is the collaborative culture that the Information and
Communication Technology provision allows to the break of one of the most negative features of
teaching: individualism / isolation. "The Internet opens horizons - help us to leave our more or less
isolation by enabling us to communicate at any scale, find colleagues anywhere in the world, share
ideas, plans, projects, learn from each other” (D'Eça, 1998: 44). The Information and
Communication Technology can therefore help to transform the vision of the teacher closed to the
classroom, immune to all eyes and influences.

Curious fact is that, according to table 5.14, 78.9% of teachers surveyed have computers at home,
but only 18.5% have Internet access in their homes (see Table 5.13). It can be concluded that,
however powerful it is the computer that the teacher has at his/her house, it serves more as a typing
 130

machine or at best, such as electronic calculator. This shows itself as one of the factors accelerating
the obsolescence of knowledge gained in initial training.

Table 5.14: Teachers respondents with computers at home

Is there any computer at home?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Yes 209 78.9 78.9 78.9
No 56 21.1 21.1 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0

The researcher believes that the Internet can allow any number of teachers around the country to
tune into the most recent guidelines from the Ministry of Education in terms of methodology,
scientific and technical education. More than that, it provides teacher with support in their
educational tasks and encourages the exchange of experiences, since many programs encourage the
formation of study groups in which there is strong provision of mutual support among participants
(Barreto, 1995).

Is there any computer at home?

No
21.1%

Yes

78.9%

Figure 5.10: Degree Percentage of teachers surveyed with a computer at home

 131

How did you start using ICT?

Other
1.9%

special training
Not yet
1.5%
13.2%

During my graduation
30.6%

Self-training
32.8%

specific training
20.0%

Figure 5.11: Forms of Initiation in ICT for teachers questioned in percentage

Table 5.15: Forms of Initiation in ICT for teachers questioned in frequencies

How did you start using ICT?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Not yet 35 13.2 13.2 13.2
Self-training 87 32.8 32.8 46.0
After a specific training
53 20.0 20.0 66.0
course
During my graduation
81 30.6 30.6 96.6
at University
After a a special
4 1.5 1.5 98.1
training programm
Other 5 1.9 1.9 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0

Table 5.15 shows us that 13.2% of teachers of the Second Cycle of general Secondary Education
have not had initiation in computing and 32.8% its initiation in information and communication
technology was based on curiosity and help from friends, colleagues and others. This could mean
that 46% of the universe of teachers surveyed do not have a solid background in information and
 132

communication technology, requiring therefore an urgent specific training. According to table 5.11
(shown on page 126), 69.4% of teachers respondents have got a University Degree and 18.9% are
N2 professional category. How can one explain that only 30.6% of teachers surveyed have had
specific training in information and communication technology during initial training? One of the
hypotheses to be explored and that may explain this situation is the difference in the curriculum of
higher education institutions involved in the initial training of teachers.

Table 5.16: Level of competence of the teachers surveyed in the use of MS-Office

How do you rate your competence in using MS-Office applications?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid 6 2.3 2.3 2.3
None 21 7.9 7.9 10.2
very little 34 12.8 12.8 23.0
little 62 23.4 23.4 46.4
Good 113 42.6 42.6 89.1
Very good 29 10.9 10.9 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0

2.3%
Very good None
10.9% 7.9%
very little

12.8%

Good
little
42.6%
23.4%

Figure 5.12: Level of competence of the teachers surveyed in the use of MS-Office
 133

Table 5.16 and Figure 5.12 make evident that only 53.5% of teachers surveyed dominate the
packages of MS-Office. Almost half the teachers surveyed said that they had little competence
(23.4%) in operating MS-Office programs, (12.8%) very little and (7.9%) no competence to exploit
those programs.

This finding is upsetting the researcher because the Ministry of Education in 2009 foresaw the
introduction of the discipline of computer science in the curriculum of grade 10. A question arises:
what is the profile of the teacher who will teach this course? Or the discipline was introduced
aiming to meet the curriculum without properly trained teachers? The answer to these and other
questions related to the introduction of the subject of computer science in the curriculum of the
Grade 10 cannot be given here, because this study only covers teachers of the Second Cycle of
general Secondary Education (grades 11 and 12).

However, the training of teachers for information and communication technology has to include not
only the integration of them into the curriculum practice of the future teachers, but also a
perspective of personal development and citizenship. To prepare future citizens for the use of
technologies does not only mean to acquire mastery in their use but it also implies the ability to
critically interpret their utilization. "To reach this objective it is necessary to prepare teachers to use
information and communication technology pedagogically in the training of citizens who will
produce and interpret the new languages of the present and future world". (Sampaio & Milk, 2000:
15).

Table 5.17: Category of the teachers surveyed

Professional category

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid N1 Teacher 176 66.4 66.4 66.4
N2 Teacher 52 19.6 19.6 86.0
N3 Teacher 37 14.0 14.0 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0
 134

Professional category
N3 Teacher
14.0%
N2 Teacher
19.6%

N1 Teacher
66.4%

Figure 5.13: Category of the teachers surveyed

Looking at table 5.17, it appears that the number of teachers of N3 professional category working in
the Second Cycle of general Secondary Education (grades 11 and 12) is relatively high (14%). This
may be explained by the fact that 9.8% of the teachers surveyed have the medium level of education
(see Table 5.11). However the difference of 4.2% points to the existence of teachers with a
university degree who probably fall into this category and, consequently with wage situation not yet
settled. This fact interferes probably in the motivation and commitment of this group of teachers.
And as already noted above, the motivation and commitment are involved in people's behavior in
organizations: The motivation for indicating the reasons why people act; the commitment because it
relates the intensity of connection between the person and the organization.

Due to school organizations increasingly demanding greater and better participation of its
employees in order to facilitate the processes of change, it is essential a motivating environment to
promote the commitment of people to the school organization.

However, to achieve involvement, identification, attachment, commitment to promote the school

organization may not be so easy. "People differ in their basic motivational drive and the same
individual may have different levels of motivation that vary over time" (Chiavenato, 2000: 592).
 135

The level of motivation can vary between people and the same person through time that may
change their behavior and commitment to the organization.

On every day of the teacher, it appears that the most relevant motivating factor of the participants of
this study is on having good salary and less to see their work bringing good results for the
organization. Although it is important to have good working conditions, have the work valued by
the school organization and safety at work, they do not appear as the most important. Do these
needs have already been fulfilled?

According to Maximiano (2000: 351), there are five human needs by Maslow's model of needs. In
this hierarchy, a need must be met before the next level need to take place. In ascending order,
needs are classified as follow:

 Basic needs: shelter, clothing, hunger, thirst, sex and comfort.

 Safety needs: protection, order, conscious of the dangers and risks, sense of
responsibility.
 Requirements for participation: friendship, inter-human relationships and love.
 Esteem needs: status, egocentrism, ambition andϖ exception.
 Needs of Self-actualization: personal growth, acceptance of challenges, success and
personal autonomy.

Montana and Charnov (2001), Megginson, Mosley and Pietri Jr. (1998), describe what Herzberg
called the factors that generate satisfaction of motivational factors and those that just prevented the
dissatisfaction of hygiene factors. In reading these authors, the first two needs in Maslow's
Hierarchy (basic and security) is equivalent to the factors of hygiene and other needs (participation,
self-esteem and achievement) to motivational factors of Herzberg.

The most important motivational factor demonstrates the need for self-realization, to see the work
paying off for the organization to which Vieira (1994: 60), "is the latent desire in every human
being to do what they can and want to do, to become what they are capable of performing as a
person".
 136

For Chiavenato (2000:592), the motivation is to exert efforts to achieve organizational goals and
"conditioned by the ability to satisfy some individual needs."

It is from these individual needs, these motivational factors that schools can work conditions to
develop and maintain a motivating climate that could assist in promoting engagement and facilitate
the processes of change.

The commitment is also involved in taking responsibilities, have abilities and skills to enhance the
performance of the school and is related to people love their compromised attitudes. And yet,
schools must provide a good climate to foster attitudes of commitment. Profession satisfaction can
be provided by enhancing motivation.

However, "the teacher extrinsic factors such as salary, security, organizational polices,
interpersonal relationships, environmental conditions of work, just make people motivate
themselves and willing to fight for them". (Bergamini, 1997:55), that is, the required effects, the
constant motivation cannot be achieved.

A practical example, according to Bergamini (1997:55) is the payment of “something more for the
same work that developed earlier. (...) Such a positive reaction appears to be of short duration,
sometimes persisting ...", but losing its effect when it is no longer motivating.

In this context, to be committed to the school is closely linked to motivational factors. And schools
need tools that can provide a motivating environment and raise the commitment of teachers to
facilitate the achievement of better teaching and learning process.

It is urgent to regularize this type of situation on behalf of the effectiveness of teaching and
learning. Moreover, this situation can be explained by the fact that 38.5% of teachers having less
than five years of work. Part of this group has recently graduated in 2008 and 2009.
 137

Table 5.18: Time of work of teachers surveyed

In service for

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Less than 5 years 102 38.5 38.5 38.5
Between 5 and 10 years 79 29.8 29.8 68.3
Between 11 and 20 years 39 14.7 14.7 83.0
More than 20 years 45 17.0 17.0 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0

In service for

More than 20 years

17.0%

Less than 5 years

38.5%
11 to 20 years

14.7%

5 to10 years
29.8%

Figure 5.14: Time of work of teachers surveyed

Table 5.19: Teachers respondents with computer at home

Is there any computer at home?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Yes 209 78.9 78.9 78.9
No 56 21.1 21.1 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0
138

Figure 5.16: Teachers respondents without computer and Internet at home

Center Region
South Region
Country Region
Figure 5.15: Teachers respondents with computer at home
Yes
78.9%

'b
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Is there any Internet access at home? No

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a s ne o a
M b i br C h
Is there any computer at home?

de C ametemsse -

Is there any computer at home? No

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ES J C a c Ve ai-X

Selected School
M a X
ES a on o
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ES da iss
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21.1%
No

.5
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
Count
 139

Is there any computer at home? Yes,

Is there any Internet access at home? No
10

4 Country Region

2 Sou th Reg io n
Count

0 Ce nte r Reg ion

Is there any computer at home? Yes
ES
ES C h
ES e C a no
ES e G b ut a i-
ES e C já G a a
ES e M n go
ES Ch u ba e
ES ui k wé
ES E Ma
ES M ue b o ta-
ES e U el a- M a p
ES er g u ap ut
ES mí Mo - Te o
ES mí Da amb
ES e C Da se- an
Is there any Internet access at home? Yes
J
d i ss
d hi X
d ui o - X
d ho
d e o c en
Q o
A sse
J G v
d ach u z M
H lo n - M ap
E óis e ut
E l ia c te
d l ia ú s i c
d a a m ú ss Ch a
P o b in e I '
la e- b
2.2

na I
-M 'b
ap
2.0
za

ut
1.8

Selected School 1.6

1.4
Country Region
1.2 South Region

Count
1.0
Figure 5.17: Teachers with computer at home without Internet .8 Center Region

ES
ES J C
ES da issa
ES de Cona o X
ES de hib Ve r ai-X
ES de Xuijá t o - e -M
ES de a-X
ES J C oc ai
ES e L ssa a
ES Qu aul o-B
ES de Ls e M e -Moane
ES A E han a v a pu
ES J M Gu ue n ta -M o
ES de c he buz -M a p
ES Em lon - M-Ma pu
ES de lia Due a pu put
ES de Ma m a ús Te t
d

da a s bine se I e
Z n

G u d a

is an

U l a a

Po sin - I ' b
h

hi ub

í g
a e e

l a ga ' b
na -
g o t
n

- M I'b
- to
G ap

ap
az

ut
a
Selected School

Figure 5.18: Teachers with home computer and Internet

As already noted above, the percentage of teachers with computers at home (78.9%, See Figure
5.15) does not resemble the percentage of teachers with internet connection at home (18.1%, See
Figure 5.11). Probably it could find some support in the data presented above (See table 5.15 on
page 131). This table reveals that 13.2% teachers surveyed have not had initiation in computing and
32.8% of them initiation in information communication technology was based on curiosity and help
from friends, colleagues and others. This could mean that 46% of the universes of teachers
surveyed do not have a solid background in Information and Communication Technology,
demanding, as already mentioned, urgent specific training.
 140

Factor Analysis

The Factor Analysis (FA) is a technique of exploratory data analysis that aims to discover and
analyze the structure 3 of a set of interrelated variables in order to construct a scale to measure
(intrinsic) factors that somehow (more or less explicit) control the original variables. In principle, if
two variables are correlated (and the correlation is not spurious), this association resulting from the
sharing of a common feature not directly observable (that’s a common latent factor).
Maroco (2007: 414) considers that:

The purpose of AF is to identify latent factors that explain the inter correlations observed in
the original variables. That is, the main components are weighted linear combinations of
original variables. While factors are variable not directly observable (that is, latent) that
hypothetically explain the observed correlations between the original variables.

The Factor Analysis uses the observed correlations between the original variables to estimate joint
factor (s) and structural relationships that link (latent) factors to variables. This technique was
developed from the work of C. Spearman in the early twentieth century on the performance of
students in various disciplines in order to clarify the relationship between the ratings and a general
factor of intelligence.

Thus, in this study, using the software SPSS® (Statistical Package for Social Sciences), some
variables were analyzed in a quantitative perspective through the "Equamax orthogonal rotation
Method with Kaiser Normalization." Equamax method for performing orthogonal rotations by
mathematical procedures was developed by Kaiser in 1958.

The factor analysis should be used once the data provides certain conditions. Initially we attempted
to carry out two tests that assess those conditions, namely: Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO), Bartlett's
test of sphericity.

3
Defined in the psychological sense of the configurational properties of a perception or experience
 141

The Bartlett test of sphericity tests the hypothesis of the correlation matrix be the identity matrix
with determinant equal to one. As Pestana and Gageiro (2000) when the Bartlett test associated with
a significance level less than 0.0001, that is; with less than 0.05 leads to rejection of the matrix
hypothesis of correlations in population to be the identity, showing a correlation between the
variables. In this study, this condition was met and the "Test of sphericity Sig 0 .000" was obtained.
The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) compares the simple correlations with partials observed between
the variables, ranging between zero and one. Although there is no accurate test for the KMO values,
in general, these can be given qualified as shown on table 5.20 that follow (See Pestana & Gageiro,
2000).

Table 5.20: Range of KMO values and their meanings

Value of KMO Recomendation for the AF

]0,9 – 1] EXCELLENT

]0,8 – 0,9] GOOD

]0,7 – 0,8] AVERAGE

]0,6 – 0,7] POOR

]0,5 – 0,6] BAD, BUT STILL ACCEPTABLE

≤ 0,50 UNACCEPTABLE

The KMO test, shown in table 5.21, for the set of some data obtained in this research, indicates the
value 0.615 which allows the continuity of factor analysis in data processing, although the result is
bad. The Bartlett test of sphericity has a p-value <0.001 which leads us to conclude that the
variables are correlated significantly.

Table 5.21: KMO and Barlett’s Test

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling

Adequacy 0.615

Approx. Chi-Square
311.102

Bartlett's Test of Sphericity 91

df
Sig.
0.000
 142

Continuing, still in search of the reliability of the instrument, it appears that this can be expressed in
terms of stability, equivalence and consistency, and commonly expressed by Cronbach's alpha.
According to Pestana and Gageiro (2000: 415), "The Cronbach alpha is a measure commonly used
to check the internal consistency of a group of variables."

Table 5.22: Variables subjected to factor analysis

Communalities

Initial Extraction
Age group 1.000 .845
In service for 1.000 .872
Coloured TV 1.000 .657
Radio 1.000 .684
Washing machine 1.000 .592
Video-cassete and/or
1.000 .652
DVD
Refrigerator 1.000 .597
Land telephone line 1.000 .587
Console (video-game,
1.000 .485
playstation, Game box)
Subscription TV 1.000 .712
Parabolic antenna 1.000 .592
Internet connection
1.000 .631
speed at home
For how long are you
1.000 .824
using a computer?
For how long are you
1.000 .830
using Internet and Web?
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.

The table presented on page 144, referring to the anti-image matrices, can also be used to assess the
adequacy of Factor Analysis to the variables selected here.

The anti-image matrixes for the variance-covariance and correlations have negative values of
covariance and partial correlations between variables. These values estimate the correlations among
the variables that are not due to common factors. Low values of these partial correlations indicate
that the variables share one or more common factors, while high values suggest that the variables
are more or less independent. The figures below the main diagonal must be close to zero. The
 143

values of the main diagonal are another measure of adequacy of data to the FA designated as
“measure of sampling adequacy" (from Anglo-Saxon MSA - Measure of Sampling Adequacy) for
each variable in the analysis. This measure is a particularization of the KMO for each of the
variables in the analysis calculated as (Maroco, 2007):

∑𝑝𝑝𝑗𝑗≠𝑖𝑖=1 𝑟𝑟 2 𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥
𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾 =
∑𝑝𝑝𝑗𝑗≠𝑖𝑖=1 𝑟𝑟 2 𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥 + ∑𝑝𝑝𝑗𝑗≠𝑖𝑖=1 𝑟𝑟 2 𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥 |𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥

With k = 1, …p Thus, the KMOi includes only the correlation coefficients and partial correlation
between the variable i and the other variables. Of course, if the partial correlations are reduced
compared to the bivariate correlations, the variable i is substantially correlated with other variables
and is appropriate to its use in Factor Analysis. MSA values below 0.5 indicate that this variable
does not fit the structure defined by the other variables and, in this case should be considered the
elimination of FA. Notice that in the case study KMOi> 0.5 (i ∈ the first five communalities)
suggesting that other variables 6-14 must be eliminated.

Figure 5.19, presented on page 145, shows the Scree plot and Table 5.24 indicates the own values
and percentages of total variance explained.
 144

Table 5.23: Anti-image matrices

A n ti-im a g e M a tric e s

C o n s o le In te rn e t F o r h o w lo
(v id e o -g a m c o n n e c tio F o r h o w lo a re y o u u s
W a s h in V id e o - c a s s Land p l a y s t a t io S u b s c r ip t i P a r a b o l s p e e d a a re y o u u s In te rn e t a
A g e g ro In s e r v ic e C o l o u r e d R a d io m a c h i n e a n d / o r D V R e f r ig e r a t e l e p h o n e G am e bo TV a n te n n a hom e a c o m p u te W eb?
A n t i- i m a g e C o v a A g e g r o u p .2 9 4 -.2 3 9 -.0 1 1 -.0 0 3 -.0 8 2 -.0 3 2 -.0 8 2 .0 1 2 .0 1 5 -.0 2 5 -.0 4 1 -.1 2 2 .0 3 2 .0 1 0
I n s e r v ic e f o r -.2 3 9 .3 2 4 -.0 4 3 .0 0 7 .0 5 2 .0 5 2 .0 6 9 -.0 5 9 .0 2 6 -.0 1 3 .0 4 9 .0 7 5 -.0 4 8 .0 3 8
C o lo u re d T V -.0 1 1 -.0 4 3 .4 2 6 -.0 9 6 -.1 5 2 -.2 2 2 .0 4 2 -.0 0 4 -.0 3 7 -.1 1 9 -.1 0 9 .0 1 7 -.0 2 0 .0 2 4
R a d io -.0 0 3 .0 0 7 -.0 9 6 .7 9 1 -.0 7 6 .0 3 2 -.1 2 6 .0 0 3 .0 9 4 -.0 8 8 -.0 2 9 -.1 5 4 -.0 0 2 .0 5 5
W a s h in g m a c h in e -.0 8 2 .0 5 2 -.1 5 2 -.0 7 6 .6 2 2 .1 7 4 -.0 9 8 -.1 7 1 -.0 3 5 .1 4 7 .1 0 3 .1 3 3 -.0 6 5 -.0 5 4
V id e o - c a s s e t e a n
-.0 3 2 .0 5 2 -.2 2 2 .0 3 2 .1 7 4 .4 8 8 -.1 0 8 -.1 6 1 -.0 9 0 .0 6 7 .0 8 4 .1 5 0 .0 0 2 -.0 3 1
D VD
R e f r ig e r a t o r -.0 8 2 .0 6 9 .0 4 2 -.1 2 6 -.0 9 8 -.1 0 8 .5 9 7 -.0 3 1 -.0 7 4 -.0 9 0 -.1 5 0 -.0 3 3 -.0 3 1 .0 0 7
L a n d t e le p h o n e li .0 1 2 -.0 5 9 -.0 0 4 .0 0 3 -.1 7 1 -.1 6 1 -.0 3 1 .6 3 9 -.0 5 0 .0 1 0 -.0 9 7 -.0 3 5 .0 2 0 -.0 3 0
C o n s o le (v id e o -g
.0 1 5 .0 2 6 -.0 3 7 .0 9 4 -.0 3 5 -.0 9 0 -.0 7 4 -.0 5 0 .8 2 3 -.0 5 1 -.0 2 3 -.0 6 6 .0 6 4 -.0 4 9
p l a y s t a t io n , G a m e
S u b s c r ip t io n T V -.0 2 5 -.0 1 3 -.1 1 9 -.0 8 8 .1 4 7 .0 6 7 -.0 9 0 .0 1 0 -.0 5 1 .6 3 4 -.0 9 1 .1 6 3 -.0 4 2 -.0 4 1
P a r a b o l ic a n t e n n a -.0 4 1 .0 4 9 -.1 0 9 -.0 2 9 .1 0 3 .0 8 4 -.1 5 0 -.0 9 7 -.0 2 3 -.0 9 1 .5 6 3 .1 0 1 .0 8 1 -.1 3 2
I n t e r n e t c o n n e c t io
-.1 2 2 .0 7 5 .0 1 7 -.1 5 4 .1 3 3 .1 5 0 -.0 3 3 -.0 3 5 -.0 6 6 .1 6 3 .1 0 1 .7 0 2 -.0 3 9 -.0 0 4
sp ee d at ho m e
F o r h o w lo n g a re
.0 3 2 -.0 4 8 -.0 2 0 -.0 0 2 -.0 6 5 .0 0 2 -.0 3 1 .0 2 0 .0 6 4 -.0 4 2 .0 8 1 -.0 3 9 .4 4 4 -.2 8 1
u s in g a c o m p u t e r
F o r h o w lo n g a re
.0 1 0 .0 3 8 .0 2 4 .0 5 5 -.0 5 4 -.0 3 1 .0 0 7 -.0 3 0 -.0 4 9 -.0 4 1 -.1 3 2 -.0 0 4 -.2 8 1 .3 7 9
u s in g I n t e r n e t a n d
A n t i- i m a g e C o r r A g e g r o u p . 5 7 a2 -.7 7 5 -.0 3 2 -.0 0 7 -.1 9 1 -.0 8 6 -.1 9 5 .0 2 7 .0 3 0 -.0 5 8 -.1 0 1 -.2 6 9 .0 8 9 .0 2 9
I n s e r v ic e f o r -.7 7 5 . 5 2 a0 -.1 1 6 .0 1 3 .1 1 6 .1 3 0 .1 5 6 -.1 2 9 .0 5 0 -.0 2 9 .1 1 4 .1 5 7 -.1 2 7 .1 1 0
C o lo u re d T V -.0 3 2 -.1 1 6 . 7 6 a5 - . 1 6 5 -.2 9 5 -.4 8 7 .0 8 4 -.0 0 7 -.0 6 2 -.2 2 9 -.2 2 2 .0 3 1 -.0 4 5 .0 6 1
R a d io -.0 0 7 .0 1 3 - . 1 6 5 . 6 9 a1 -.1 0 9 .0 5 2 -.1 8 3 .0 0 5 .1 1 7 -.1 2 4 -.0 4 4 -.2 0 7 -.0 0 3 .1 0 1
W a s h in g m a c h in e -.1 9 1 .1 1 6 -.2 9 5 -.1 0 9 . 5 6 a0 .3 1 6 -.1 6 1 -.2 7 2 -.0 4 9 .2 3 5 .1 7 4 .2 0 1 -.1 2 5 -.1 1 2
V id e o - c a s s e t e a n a
-.0 8 6 .1 3 0 -.4 8 7 .0 5 2 .3 1 6 .6 3 1 -.2 0 0 -.2 8 8 -.1 4 2 .1 2 0 .1 6 0 .2 5 6 .0 0 5 -.0 7 1
D VD
R e f r ig e r a t o r -.1 9 5 .1 5 6 .0 8 4 -.1 8 3 -.1 6 1 -.2 0 0 . 8 0 a1 -.0 5 1 -.1 0 6 -.1 4 7 -.2 5 9 -.0 5 1 -.0 5 9 .0 1 4
L a n d t e le p h o n e li .0 2 7 -.1 2 9 -.0 0 7 .0 0 5 -.2 7 2 -.2 8 8 -.0 5 1 . 8 2 a9 -.0 6 9 .0 1 5 -.1 6 1 -.0 5 2 .0 3 7 -.0 6 1
C o n s o le (v id e o -g a
.0 3 0 .0 5 0 -.0 6 2 .1 1 7 -.0 4 9 -.1 4 2 -.1 0 6 -.0 6 9 .8 2 4 -.0 7 1 -.0 3 4 -.0 8 6 .1 0 6 -.0 8 7
p l a y s t a t io n , G a m e
S u b s c r ip t io n T V -.0 5 8 -.0 2 9 -.2 2 9 -.1 2 4 .2 3 5 .1 2 0 -.1 4 7 .0 1 5 -.0 7 1 . 7 7 a7 -.1 5 3 .2 4 4 -.0 7 8 -.0 8 4
P a r a b o l ic a n t e n n a -.1 0 1 .1 1 4 -.2 2 2 -.0 4 4 .1 7 4 .1 6 0 -.2 5 9 -.1 6 1 -.0 3 4 -.1 5 3 . 7 4 a3 .1 6 1 .1 6 1 -.2 8 6
I n t e r n e t c o n n e c t io a
-.2 6 9 .1 5 7 .0 3 1 -.2 0 7 .2 0 1 .2 5 6 -.0 5 1 -.0 5 2 -.0 8 6 .2 4 4 .1 6 1 .5 6 1 -.0 6 9 -.0 0 7
sp ee d at ho m e
F o r h o w lo n g a re a
.0 8 9 -.1 2 7 -.0 4 5 -.0 0 3 -.1 2 5 .0 0 5 -.0 5 9 .0 3 7 .1 0 6 -.0 7 8 .1 6 1 -.0 6 9 .5 8 2 -.6 8 5
u s in g a c o m p u t e r
F o r h o w lo n g a re a
.0 2 9 .1 1 0 .0 6 1 .1 0 1 -.1 1 2 -.0 7 1 .0 1 4 -.0 6 1 -.0 8 7 -.0 8 4 -.2 8 6 -.0 0 7 -.6 8 5 .6 4 4
u s in g I n t e r n e t a n d
a .M e a s u r e s o f S a m p li n g A d e q u a c y ( M S A )
 145

Scree Plot
5

Eigenvalue 2

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Component Number

Figure 5.19: Scree Plot

The calculation showed that the alpha in the internal consistency of the scale is better without the
presence of questions 6-14 whose intrinsic value is presented below one (see Figure 5.19 of the
Scree Plot above).

Table 5.24: Total Variance Explained

Total Variance Explained

Initial Eigenvalues Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings
Component Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative %
1 3.887 27.766 27.766 3.887 27.766 27.766 2.269 16.205 16.205
2 2.060 14.716 42.481 2.060 14.716 42.481 2.034 14.527 30.732
3 1.432 10.228 52.709 1.432 10.228 52.709 2.027 14.480 45.212
4 1.116 7.972 60.681 1.116 7.972 60.681 1.919 13.705 58.916
5 1.065 7.608 68.289 1.065 7.608 68.289 1.312 9.373 68.289
6 .886 6.330 74.619
7 .727 5.190 79.809
8 .675 4.821 84.629
9 .564 4.031 88.660
10 .495 3.536 92.196
11 .448 3.203 95.399
12 .267 1.905 97.304
13 .217 1.550 98.854
14 .160 1.146 100.000
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.
 146

According to the rule of retaining factors with proper values above 1 were retained five factors
(which are confirmed by the Scree Plot) explaining approximately 68.3% of total variance. In
fact, according Maroco (2007:381) "... it is considered that a high percentage of waste below
0.05 (over 50%) is indicative of a factor model with a good fit." In this analysis the cut of factors
was given by the Kaiser normalization, that is; we considered only the factors with greater own
value than 1 (one).

The factor model obtained after an exploratory factor analysis explains theoretically the structure
of latent factors responsible for the observed correlations between the original variables.
Naturally, the model assumes that there are a number of factors below the original number of
variables that can explain a high percentage of the total variance of original variables. The rules
of the greater own value than 1 and the Scree-plot are usually used to decide the minimum
number of factors needed to explain a considerable proportion of the total variance of original
variables. However, these rules only help to select the factors to explain the variance -
covariance observed between the original variables, but tell us nothing about the quality of the
reduced factorial model. That is; whether fitted model explains adequately or not the observed
correlations between the original variables. It is clear that a model with many latent factors as the
number of variables (saturated model) explain all the variance - covariance observed and all
correlations between the original variables would be exactly reproducible by the model.
However, such a model, nothing would bring in terms of ability to resume or parsimony, clearly
violating the primary purpose of FA.

Graphic analysis: frequency histograms

According to Table 4.1 on the array of data collection, the questionnaire (Appendix A) was
answered by 265 teachers. In section III, on the use of ICTs in teacher training was presented to
teachers a set of 39 assertions of the Likert scale. The scale contained no right or wrong answers,
but just wanted to know the opinions of each teacher expressed on that scale. It was on the base
of the opinions expressed by teachers (for convenience represented by Item x) that the Figures
5.20, 5.21, 5.22 and 5.23 were built which are listed below.

The graphical representation of results has as main purpose to display characteristics of the
 147

variable in the sample study, that is; statistical sampling in a simple and affordable mental
acquisition. (Maroco, 2007).

In this study, the researcher presents the results as frequency histograms. In this type of graphical
representation, the observations of the continuous variable under study (opinion of teachers) are
organized into classes, varying amplitude, on the X-axis and the relative frequency of each class
in the sample (that is; the number of observations in each class) is represented on the Y-axis.
Figures 5.20, 5.21, 5.22 and 5.23 shows the summary of this analysis where the y-axis
representing the views of teachers, obtained by applying the questionnaire in section III (on the
use of ICT in teacher training) and the ordinate axis the relative frequency of each of these
reviews (that is; the number of times a particular view, represented for convenience by Item x,
was observed compared to total observations). As mentioned above, the Figures 5.20 to 5.23
show the views expressed by teachers.

80

70

60

50

40

30 Indifferent

20

10

0
item 11
item 13
item 15
item 17
item 19
item 21
item 23
item 25
item 27
item 29
item 31
item 33
item 35
item 37
item 39
item 1
item 3
item 5
item 7
item 9

Figure 5.20: Level of indecision of teacher asked about the use of ICT' in TCT.

The sharpest indecision of teachers was expressed in questions 7 (41), 14 (62), 26 (54), 27 (75),
36 (46) and 39 (50). In parentheses is the relative frequency of each of these reviews. In fact,
these issues are likely to create serious doubts in teachers not familiar with the language of
 148

virtual learning environments. Large number of participants in this study≥(72%) revealed not
having any experience in the use of computing platforms classify their competence as: none
(16.6%) or very low (24.9%) competence in using applications for the production of multimedia
documents and its publication on the web (See Table 5.24 and 5.25).

Table 5.25: Degree of competence of teachers in the production of multimedia materials

How do you rate your competence in using MS-Office aplications to

produce multimedia documentss to be published in the Web?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid 6 2.3 2.3 2.3
None 44 16.6 16.6 18.9
very little 66 24.9 24.9 43.8
little 75 28.3 28.3 72.1
Good 63 23.8 23.8 95.8
Very good 11 4.2 4.2 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0

Table 5.26: Level of experience of teachers in the use of computing platforms

Experience in using Web platforms

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid 5 1.9 1.9 1.9
None 192 72.5 72.5 74.3
very little 37 14.0 14.0 88.3
little 28 10.6 10.6 98.9
Good 2 .8 .8 99.6
Very good 1 .4 .4 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0
 149

250

200

150

Partial agree
100
Totally agree

50

0
item 1
item 3
item 5
item 7
item 9
item 11
item 13
item 15
item 17
item 19
item 21
item 23
item 25
item 27
item 29
item 31
item 33
item 35
item 37
item 39
Figure 5.21: Level of agreement of teachers asked about use of ICT' in TCT

Questions 1 (103), 2 (175), 5 (156), 6 (208), 10 (184), 13 (155), 16 (200), 17 (183), 19 (175), 20
(126 ), 21 (161), 22 (191), 23 (190), 28 (148), 29 (185), 30 (154), 32 (197), 36 (113) and 38
(125) earned a more expressive total agreement of the teachers. The issues that deserve this level
of agreement are indeed crucial in the continuous training of teachers in virtual learning
environments. That is to say that teachers participating in this study have clear understanding of
the usefulness of ICT in the process of their professional qualifications, despite their experience
in use of computing platforms is almost zero (see Table 5.25). One factor that may be behind this
level of agreement of teachers on the use of ICT in the Teacher’s Continuing Training (TCT)
may be the classification of good (23.8%) and very good (4.2%) competence in the production of
multimedia documents to be published on the web using MS-Office applications (see Table
5.24). Serves as example the issue number 6 (with the use of ICTs in the educational community
can meet new challenges by improving the quality of teaching), which received the highest score
by teachers participating in this study.
 150

totally desagree Partial desagree

216 218
207205 207
197 191
176
165 168
152
138 135 140
125

76
60 57
50 48
38 38 43 46
36 33 33
27 24 22 24 23
15 19
13 15 13 10 15 19 16 18 14
12 8 11 12
10 10
9 11 9 3
6 3
0 5 8
7 8 5
1 5 5 42 3 4
0 1 6 1 7
4 7
2 4 9
item item item item item item item item item item item item item item item item item item item item
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39

Figure 5.22: Level of disagreement of teachers asked about use of ICT' in TCT

The homogeneity of the participants in terms of age, and to some extent, academic and their
professional work provided a relatively peaceful and balanced discussion of the issues presented.

3.5

2.5

1.5
No answer
1

0.5

Figure 5.23: Level of abstention of teacher asked about use of ICT' in TCT
 151

As it can be measured in the Figure 5.23 above, there was a small group of teachers who did not
respond to questions. These teachers, representing 1.16% of all teachers surveyed (13.2%) make
part of teachers who still had no initiation on information and communication technology and
therefore they declined to give their opinion on their use in training teachers (see Table 5.26).

Table 5.27: Form of initiation of teacher respondents to ICT

How did you start using ICT?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Not yet 35 13.2 13.2 13.2
Self-training 87 32.8 32.8 46.0
After a specific training
53 20.0 20.0 66.0
course
During my graduation
81 30.6 30.6 96.6
at University
After a a special
4 1.5 1.5 98.1
training programm
Other 5 1.9 1.9 100.0
Total 265 100.0 100.0

In search of solutions

These days, we already have a certain portion of Mozambicans making use of distance learning,
building new knowledge and educational experiences through various technologies and in all
levels of learning. But this is still insignificant in a country of just over 20 million inhabitants
"embedded" in a knowledge society, within which are all those who, wishing to participate
actively in the socio-economic development of Mozambique, must update their professional and
personal knowledge.

A critical look at the politics of distance learning, I would say that what is happening in this area
currently is only a replica of what is done in the face-to-face learning, just with a delivery system
or treatment different to the learner. One can say that has not been seen in Mozambique which is
known in the computing community and the Internet as a killer application (a device or feature
designed and engineered so well that essentially "kills" all competitors).

It's time to leave the unknown and explore new areas of knowledge not yet explored through
 152

distance education, to find many people in need of benefits that we know that distance education
brings, but so far no one thought to focus on and accomplish. There are certainly risks. But good
research of the possibility of a viable market for a new educational service through distance
education, good business planning, training of a team not only appropriate but also a true dream
team and good support for learners before, during and after the course, will guarantee success of
the project.

Speaking about Distance Education is, above all, speaking about education. It makes no sense to
fix the adjectives in peripheral and non-essential aspects of the educational act, even today when
the "distance" has lost its original meaning in the face of increasingly massive penetration of new
technologies of information and communication.

In a dialogical and dialectical conception, it makes no sense to try to put this or that subject in the
center of the educational process. Education is continually built in a network of relationships,
rebuilding, transgressions, from statements and partnerships, in which all involved individuals,
participate with responsibilities and commitments, modifying and being modified. Who educates
is much more an "institution" and a collective entity rather than individuals.

Therefore, we consider distance education as a dimension of a pedagogy that contributes to a

new way of being, that is; with the interest and determination to overcome and break the
boundaries that "contain" us as human beings (Neder, 2000).

And one of these transgressions refers to the break, to the separation of the process of teaching
from the process of learning. They happen in separated time and space. Who "teaches" the author
(or teacher) and who "learn", the "learner". They do not necessarily happen in the same place and
at the same time. Hence, the time and space are gaining new significance from the subject
because it is he who gives it the meaning: it is time and space of the subject!

Therefore, this mode allows a greater respect for personal rhythms, to social and cultural
differences, to pathways and individual life histories, contributing in the process of building the
intellectual and political autonomy and recover self-esteem and professional.
But how can the process of learning be possible? According Constructivist theories, it requires
not only cognitive processes but also human environment in which the individual interacts with
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others?

If it is true that "no one teaches anyone ...", on the other hand,” ... no one educates himself: men
educate themselves in communion, mediated by the world "(Freire, 1993:9)." Distance
education, paradoxically, requires ongoing dialogue and thus closeness to the dialog.
Here arises the figure of the tutor, monitor, advisor, etc. The terminologies are varied, differing
because concepts that underlie the educational proposals in the distance learning are different.

5.1.3 Results of interviews

For the analysis of data collected through the interviews, the researcher has privileged the
conceptual method of inventories because consider it more appropriate for this study, for the
following reasons: (i) Maintain the original language of the interviewee, not reducing the natural
speech to the propositional form, (ii) It is a descriptive technique where the number of inferences
between data and final results are little compared to the propositional analysis;

The choice of the technique of content analysis as called by Carrion (1986:5) is related primarily
to the interest of this research to understand the social representations of the teacher of natural
sciences and mathematics. As it is known, the techniques of content analysis are valuable in
communication processes, and particularly useful in scientific work in which the investigator is
faced with a significant amount of information. Therefore, this technique provides the researcher
relevant procedures to analyze categorize and organize the information gained through
communication processes with the interviewees. According to Carrión (1986:5) the content
analysis constitutes a valuable technique to decode the linguistic forms that may be subjected to
certain syntheses and semantic contexts. This assertion becomes the second justification of
choice of this technique, especially because the researcher dedicates himself/herself to studying a
subject that does not belong to his//her reality.

Besides these, the content analysis becomes an appropriate technique to structure reference data
and to produce meaningful reports (Carrión, 1986:6). At certain times a thesis turns into a
chaotic work, especially when the researcher is faced with a mountain of information. At first
glance the amount of data seems to communicate that they are all important and even
indispensable. However, just from the choice of method or technique for information analysis is
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that it is possible to give life, and particularly meaning to data. In the case of this thesis as it is
already evident, this happened with the help of the analysis of inventories of content.

The choice of this technique was determined by its importance in the identification of categories
of analysis that characterizes the thinking of the interviewee and the trainer's perspective over
this subject. In this sense, we have used the recommendations of Bardin (1986:78) related to
encoding of information which according to this author it is held by the process of
decomposition, enumeration, classification of information and data obtained in the empirical
study. Before the field material and the objectives of this study, we decided to decode the
information by following the procedure of textual unit registration, particularly because this
modality is indicated for the study of beliefs, values, opinions, and to examine open responses
(Bardin, 1986:80). That is an appropriate procedure for this thesis drawn to know and study the
thinking of the teacher of natural sciences and mathematics from the understanding of his/her
speech, according to the arrest of elements of their culture.

With respect to the extraction process of the categories the researcher also followed the
recommendations of the author mentioned above. In the case of this research the categories are
thematic type and were constructed from the meeting of common characteristics. This fact has
resulted in the grouping of information that share similar elements. The choice obeying thematic
themes is related to the interest of representing important aspects of the teacher of natural
sciences and mathematics thought. Naturally that in this process the inventory and the
classification of information (Bardin, 1986) played an important role because it would be
difficult to build categories without first isolating the elements and then, distribute them in an
organized manner. In summary, it was thus that the information was managed and was able to
find sense and meaning in the most important elements of the thinking of the teacher of natural
sciences and mathematics and of course, the trainer, constituting thus response categories as can
be seen in table 5:28 that follows.
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Table 5.28: Answers to questions from the structured interview

QUESTIONS ANSWERS C A T E G O R IES

1. How long has the project of e-learning been implemented?  July 14, 2008 -

2. What are the intended objectives with the implementation of e-learning?
 Provide access to all applicants to higher education.
 Covering public without access to face-to-face learning.
A CCESS
 Diversifying teaching methods allowing more access.
 Process of continuous improvement and achievement of all students.

3.Talk about organizational and structural change made to accommodate the needs  Changing people's minds.
of an open e-learning, flexible and distributed in terms of:  Training in Distance Education Technologies. R E V O L U TION
 Choose the solution with the desired requirements at the best price.
 No significant institutional changes, because the CEND is already a reality since 2003.
a. Process

 Provide information, educational resources and administrative features.

 To support and manage the organization of courses. C A P A C I T A TION
a. Human Resources
 Establishment of e-learning team and a board of directors to support the strategies of e-learning.
 It is intended to develop an autonomous structure to manage the initiatives of the platform.

4. How was the initial adhesion of those involved (students, teachers, support staff,  Much enthusiasm and curiosity.
community members) characterized?  They ventured out without even having an email address. E N THUSIASM
 Some do not even master the concept of e-learning, but saw the announcement and ventured out. C U R I O S ITY
 Good adhesion of the students, but variable and progressive adhesion in part of teachers. AD V E N T URE

 Teachers in Distance Education Specialists.

5. What is the composition of the team responsible for the design of e-learning?  Teachers with post-graduate professional training in distance education. PROFISSIONAL
What areas of specialty are its members?  Masters in Distance Education. vs
 Training in psycho-pedagogy engineering, sociology, architecture. E S P E C I A L I Z ATION

 Lists of e-mails
6. What forms of interaction exist between the students and the institution?
 participation in discussion forums
 Internet Relay Chat VIRTUAL
 Skype

7. In your opinion, what forms of pedagogical evaluation are present on the course?
O N L I N Ex
How are they made?  Self-assessment, online tests, online continuous assessment
 In case of the failure of the system, examination in print is applied.
(PRINTED MATERIALS)

QUESTIONS
Well, I'd like to hear your point of view on the possibility of integrating
e-learning and video conferencing in undergraduate and graduate levels.
When one speaks of infrastructure for example, what implications you
think it will have, or would have to the infrastructures?
In terms of Academic records, Do you think it would bring major
changes or it could operate the same way as today’s academic record is
functioning?
So in terms of human resources, do you think that it would involve
some changes?
In terms of evaluation as you mentioned assessment systems, do you
think would be necessary to introduce changes in the current System in
use in the face-to-face learning?
So as a form of conclusion, if the UEM University had already decided
in the academic year 2009 to embark on this solution which would
involve the entry of thousands of new students in higher education, what
kind of hard work that the Academic Record would make in order to
host and manage these students before the beginning of this project. Is
this project feasible?
What would you like to say that was not addressed in this interview?
156
Table 5.29: Answers to open interview questions
ANSWERS C A T E G ORIES
It's a good idea to integrate e-learning and video conferencing ... There are universities where the GOOD IDEIA
Thesis are defended like that ... Sometimes people do not have time to travel. It's expensive for
ECONOMY
example leaving New York to Oslo to attend a defense ...
Besides hardware and software, knowhow is needed about this technology. Because there will be a KNOWLEDGE
process of technology transfer.
The transference of knowledge about technology and hardware that is behind the initiative will REVOLUTION
involve the need for champions ... ready to learn and master it in order to have these resources
locally to handle, making maintenance
... Will have to be different students, teachers themselves, researchers ... have a more active role, PRO-ACTIVE STUDENT
VIOLENCE
investigate a little more.
We must take into account the violence that these technologies bring to teachers and students.
This involves the teacher to put the marks directly into the system and after validation of the school FLEXIBILITY
council; they are published to all student, regardless of their location.
MODERNIZATION
The move towards these goals, to these technologies, etc, we must have an academic record which
works properly. Distance Learning without Academic Record would not work properly. It would
cause headaches. So a direct impact is a proportional direct relationship. An electronic academic
record is needed. And I would say it is a sine qua non condition, because working manually with
paper would create many problems… we would just go into shock in the evaluation ... involving the
data entry of marks, as it happens now.
In principle I like the idea because it poses a challenge and brings a kind of awareness ... raises the CHALLENGE /
AWARENESS
problem that exists and that people are not aware of it.
 157

However, in order to obtain a set of information relevant to this study, while contrasting them with
the information obtained from the sample, the researchers managed to achieve an unstructured
interview with a teacher in one of IHE responsible for initial teacher of natural sciences and
mathematics, on the information communication technologies but not directly involved in distance
learning. For the relevance of the results obtained, the researcher judged relevant its summarized
presentation in the table 5.29, above, following the method of conceptual inventories.

5.2 Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that the education that people develop in some way is determined by
the challenges of the historic moment for the world view of a time and by the social and scientific and
technological advancement. Therefore it is believed that Distance Learning brings the possibility of
freeing students and teachers from a monotonous role, passive and centralized to the teacher as a
mean of transmitting information. Distance learning has developed strategies and is using resources
that promote interaction, exploration and building of their own learning by setting their own pace,
creating opportunities to choose according their own interests. In short: take over the management of
own learning processes. These cognitive ecosystems are likely to represent the realization of the
constructive ideals, creating an enormous area of potential development for students and capabilities
of information processing which is believed to be indispensable to be a citizen of today’s society.

In this sense the articulation of appropriate technologies is opening space for the formation of a new
education: more flexible, meaningful, participatory and motivating than traditional education. ICT
enable the shortening of distances, providing the dissemination of ideas and different perspectives. In
this sense, they are proving to be a valuable tool for critical reflection, opening the possibility for the
teacher to find new ways of seeing the world, enabling a comparison with his/her ideas. The Internet
has opened the doors to a brave new world, a revolution in communication that allows connection
among people, sharing knowledge, giving the teacher a way to constantly update knowledge, lifelong
learning and learning for life.

Distance Learning is a form of education that combines specialists from various areas in the reflection
of the educational process which takes the teacher's out of isolation and providing him/her with
resources that generate different strategies for different audiences, but appropriate to local contexts
and more reflective as well.
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In this context, it equates the Distance Learning as a way in which the teacher ceases to occupy the
role of transmitter and fills the role of pedagogical mediator between knowledge (presented through
various media) and students (through various media and tools), deepening the educational dialogue.

The interaction systems ensure bilateral communication because they allow the learner to access to
the institution of Distance Learning anytime, anywhere to facilitate the collection of study materials,
access to updates or inter-medium work, posting questions to forums of course, read messages from
peers and instructors, enter online dialogue into the virtual classroom, make a computer video
telephony with the trainer or other learners or ask for help.

With the advent of technologies related to e-learning it is able to enrich the entire space of mediation
between the person and learning processes. These new media are bringing new content, new tools for
mediation of learning and enable the person in his/her learning process to have greater freedom in
space and time (Tribolet, 2001).

Reinforcing the idea that e-learning tools that are on the market are trivial, normal and simple, this
researcher believes that they extend of space for mediation between the individual and the learning,
they will wag the educational system in its entirety, because the system is based on the physical
malfunctioning cornerstones (Tribolet, 2001).

The same author advances an idea that may seem a paradox: "The new area of e-learning came to
enhance significantly the face-to- face learning. That is, it will allow face-to-face learning to focus
on substantive issues, in discussing themes that students want to discuss, because the means that they
possess do not allow them to clarify their doubts. And it will be in contact with the trainer and
colleagues that they will clarify and discuss these doubts". For the researcher, "I" is the word that
best defines the e-learning, because this system enables to learning what “I” like to learn, when “I”
want and how “I” want.
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Chapter 6

6.1 Summary

This chapter is aimed to discussing the accomplishment of action-research and verifies the outcomes
got, proceeding in this way, with the fulfillment of the specific objectives number two and three of
this thesis, namely:

 Reflect about planning and organization of a post graduation course for Natural
Sciences and Mathematics teachers of the Second Cycle of the General Education to be
delivered at distance, in virtual learning environments, on e-learning models and video-
conference;
 Adapt, implement and evaluate a module of a post graduation course for Natural
Sciences and Mathematic teachers of the Second Cycle of General Education, delivered
at distance, based on the Virtual Learning Environments, on e-learning models and
video conference;

According to the discussion fulfilled in chapter 4 to action research, this type of social research with
empirical base is conceived and fulfilled in associated with an action or with collective problem
solving on which the researcher(s) and the participants of the problem or situation are involved in a
collective or cooperative ways. The action-research can be distinguished by its characteristics of
knowing and acting, studying the results afterwards. In so being, it becomes a process of permanent
modification “in spirals of reflection and action” where each spiral includes, according to Elliot
(1993):

 Elucidation and diagnose of a practical situation or problem that is aimed to improving

or solving;
 Design action strategies;
 Use of such strategies;
 Evaluation of their efficiency;

 Understanding of a new situation;

 The reuse of the same steps for a new practical situation.
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In a context of rapid technological change, the educational system is confronted with the need of
giving new educational opportunities. Going through new technologies especially in the
communication field, it is possible to have access to working instruments and information sources
that seemed not to be thought of recently. The facility, the speed and the extinction of geographical
obstacles has become possible the access to several knowledge potentiating channels, to joy and
entertainment.

The accessibility to information and communication technologies must be considered as a factor of

quality of life. For the majority of people, technology makes life much easier. To develop education
in spaces and times that are less restrict is one of the resources that the technological advance has
been providing the people with. In the digital culture, the technologies are in constant transformation
requiring a continuous removal of fixed points that used to be a characteristic of the written culture
and went through an idea of stability, linearity, homogeneity and standardization.

Currently, it is difficult to accept the vision that dominated the written culture because information
now circulates freely and it is broadcast in several ways, being subject to change, questioning and
replaced by the most current one. For this reason, there is a question concerning to how the school
and the university are still very limited to the use of books as a source of information, without
considering and exploring the messages entailed by other means of communication?

In trying to answer this question there can be various hypotheses rose that among them is: lack of
teacher´s preparation for the use of the digital technology; teacher´s resistance towards change, the
relationship the teacher establishes between technology and technicism; lack of reflection by the
teacher about the true revolution that the digital technologies are promoting; lack of knowledge
related to the contribution that the use of technology can represent to the learning process.

While being a teacher of information and communication technologies’ module in education, the
researcher became aware of the unsteadiness between evolution of the digital technologies and the
preparation that is being given to the future teachers. It is seen that once again, the university is being
“stepped on” by an advance that several social sectors have already put in practice or are trying to
insert while in education this insertion takes place very slowly. What one can see in the teacher
training courses is the use of technology by the learners and teachers only for typing and presenting
the assignments. Meanwhile, the researcher believes that this type of use of technology by the
 161

learners and teachers does not meet the needs so that they understand the transformations that are
taking place in society in relation to digital technology.

On the other side, currently there has been development of experiences at national level, in an
opposite direction, like the distance teacher training courses. In these courses, the learners and
teachers immerge in a proper digital culture environment and they are taken to an experiment of the
transformations it requires. These (teachers and learners) while self-eco-organizer look for alternative
strategies to respond to the risk and changes that appear in the transformations. The adaptation of the
learners and teachers to these situations is risky meaning that these need to have a flexible posture,
skill to respond to difficulties, lack, impositions and challenges.

In unstable way of live one lives today, to adapt means to be open to changes “to be self-organizer
that designs strategies of life, of insertion, of fight, etc. adaptation finishes when it moulds itself to
regularity, constancies and determinism of environments. It becomes adaptation to risks and changes”
(Morin, 1980:49).

It is in this way that the researcher insists on the thesis that the distance education must not be
considered as an alternative or compensatory method of the face-to-face teaching, but as an
opportunity to rethink about education as a whole.

So, as advantages of distance education there is: removal or reduction of obstacles of access to
learning, flexibility, especially with the regard to the learners´ permanence in their family
environment; use of multimedia resources; active learning; facilitating contact and exchange of
experience with teachers and pairs. At resources level, there can be outstood the videoconference or
video telephone that allows audio and video information exchange with no significant delay, in the
same way, from a computer with internet linkage and from electronic emails so that the instant files
exchange is possible.
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6.2 Findings

6.2.1 Factors that stimulate the natural sciences and mathematics teachers in taking

masters courses

The demands that are promoted by the globalization today are felt in several aspects not only at
organizational levels but also at individual. It is understood that information can get to any part of the
world in a rapid way or in a real time. This new scenery has been establishing changes of political,
economical and social character that affect principles and values and these are felt in people´s daily
lives changing at the same time, the old habits.

The new technologies have been invading organizational environments and the universities are not
out of this context. These new technologies have been causing a reaching impact in the organizations
and providing new services, ways of working, tasks flow, new skills and competences. This idea is
reinforced by Morgan (1996), who states that there were changes in the nature and style of the
organizations as a result of the use of the computers, as the tasks that previously were accomplished
by specialized or semi specialized people are now fulfilled electronically, which made whole sections
or organizations level totally redundant, in favour of others of higher value. The interface of
electronic instruments takes place of relationships nets among the people, which are replaced by new
types of operators, programmers and specialists in informatics. This has been affecting the
organizational processes that demand organizations to seek for excellent in the services they offer.

Considering that the human beings are the major actors of the production factor, the strategic
planning area of the Human Resources of the Ministry has been trying to define new profile for
teachers. Feeling new impacts caused by the tecnhological advance, the researcher looks through this
study, for the creation of conditions that allow teachers take specialization courses, masters and PhD.
The researcher tries to promote higher level of teacher qualifications aimed to improving the services
offered.

6.2.2 Reflections about the masters’course

The specialization course is set up in an eclectic training conception, giving emphasis to cognitive
and personalist perspectives on the explanation of the human development (and of professional
development) and of orientations of the teacher training of the humanist and problematic character.
 163

Consequently, the course will train professional teachers, with skill in teaching in secondary
education in the natural sciences and mathematics subjects, able to use scientific and technological
competences correctly and understand critically the social, political, historican and economic realities
that contextualize the cultural behaviours necessary for the wholly citizenship in the context of the
Mozambican society.

Taking into account the aims mentioned above, the following are the objectives of the masters for the
teachers willing to attend this course to teach in the secondary schools of general education in the
sciences area:

 A dynamic construction of knowledge and competences necessary for the teaching

career;
 Manage learning situations that are suitable to the purposes of the curriculum syllabi of
the secondary education so that they promote competences on the learners in the know
how and know to be domains;
 Evaluate the proper process of the construction of a personal acting model;
 Develop research projects.

The masters’ course plan in teaching in the secondary education is a cycle of studies with duration of
four semesters corresponding to 120 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

With an end of contributing for the professional training of the sciences teachers guided by principles
that support a solid training and which is based on the specific contents that are considered core for
the teaching practice in the subjects of the secondary education, the masters predicts in the first phase,
the scientific and professional training that enable:

 The teaching of biology in the secondary education;

 The teaching of physics in the secondary education;
 The teaching of mathematics in the secondary education;
 The teaching of chemistry in the secondary education.

The changes that have been taking place in the post graduation training panorama in Mozambique
demand for a need for a profound reconstruction of courses and processes of the teacher training in
the context of several organic units of universities delivering initial teachers.
 164

On the other side, the changes in the regulations at pedagogic stages and to the teacher trainees statute
and the changes related to the academic profile for teaching, disseminated by the Ministry of
Education, demanded for new roles of the teachers training institutions (universities and schools) and
direct intervenients in the process of professional training for teaching (facilitaters, cooperating and
orientating teachers).

The creation of studies cycle in the training area for teaching of sciences in the secondary education
will ensure that the candidates to teaching in this area acquire specialization of the academic nature
that enables the acquisition and domain of research competences and in this way, this will ensure the
development of competences that are necessary for entering teacher´s profession.

The educational project subjacent to the curriculum development of this masters’ course aims to,
consequently, develop, deepen and transform knowledge and competences acquired in the
specialization area, during the initial training, integrating in a whole and articulating wisdom that is
related to distinct scientific areas that are linked to training for teaching: education, specific didactics
and specialization areas.

The process of construction of teacher´s didactical knowledge in the secondary education will imply
the deevelopment of knowledge and competences that will allow teachers to:

 Conceive and develop curriculum of their subject or teaching subjects that is suitable to
their working context, through planning, organization and evaluation of the educational
environment as well as of the activities and curriculum projects in articulation with the
other learners´subjects aimed to construct their learning;
 Observe learners and identify their characteristics, their needs and establish with them
quality educative relationship, promoter of inclusion, security and autonomy;
 Fulfill teaching activities promoters of learning within the scope of curriculum
objectives of the subject or subjects of teaching and of the cross cutting curriculum
areas and evaluate the students´ progress;
 Work in collaboration with other teachers and educational actors in the construction,
fulfillment and evaluation of the project of their institution, trying at the same time the
involvement of families and community;
 165

 Fulfill their own training as a constructive element of their professional practice,

analyse the existing problems in this practice and examine and evaluate strategies and
actions for overcoming them;
 Use research methodologies and critical analysis that will allow observing, describing,
analysing, reflecting and concluding about phenomena of the reality of the teaching and
learning process.

The study cycle presented here, as it was referred previously, has a duration of four semesters that is,
120 ECTS. This creditation integrates:

a) a specialization course, made up of a set organized curriculum units, that is, 66 ECTS
(55% of total creditation of the study cycle); and
b) a teaching practice of professional nature, on the model of supervised teaching practice,
object of a final report, that corresponds to 54 ECTS (45% of total creditation of the
study cycle).

In this legal framing, the distribution of numbers of credits in the specialization course corresponds to
the balanced and integral development of the prefigured competences in the training components for
teaching established by law, privilegiating the scientific area of didactics within the scope of the
training period, as it is a scientific area predominantly expressed by the student´s effective work.

In the course of specialization there is inclusion of a curriculum unit in the specific scientific subject
area chosen by the students, corresponding to 6 ECTS, with the aim of correcting some weaknesses
shown by the students and which are related to the contents that they are eventually going to teach.

Like what was described in the previous paragraphs, there is a need of developing, trasform and
deepen, articulating in a coherent way, knowledge and competences acquired at the level of initial
training, aimed at training professionals in the respective options with competences in:

1. management and the constant deepening of knowledge of contents that are suitable to
the exercise of the teaching profession of the secondary education teachers in the
specific areas of specialization;
2. use of knowledge and competences of psychosocial and pedagogic nature oriented to
 166

the solving of problematical situations in the educative action;

3. the use of a repertory of action and reflection strategies that ensure the establishment of
a pedagogical environment from which the lesson is built with an educative community
that promotes the development of knowledge, attitude, values and competences of
several students that it integrates;
4. the use of research methodologies and a critical analysis that allow to observe, describe,
analyse, reflect and conclude about phenomena of the reality in the teaching and
learning process;
5. Use of specialized speeches, suitable to diversified audiences within the scope of
communication of knowledge built by themselves;
6. The pursuit of a process of an autonomous learning, self and continuous.

The integration of these competences will be made in a special way and within the scope of the
teaching practice, placing the student in the school institutions that cooperate with the secondary
education. In this professional environment, the student will integrate the teams that meet to develop
common projects that are core to their professional training.

The invasion of technology has been replacing and even eliminating several functions not only
in the public service but also in all career employments. This new demand seems to influence the
organizational culture and the behavior of natural sciences and mathematics teachers. Reinforcing this
idea, Morgan (1996:116), states, “The organization is a cultural phenomenon which varies according
to the steps of development of society”. So, the section that follows aims to responding the upcoming
indagation: “what factors stimulate teachers to take masters courses?”

6.3 Recommendations

6.3.1 Motivation and stimulus

There are major differences between motivation and stimulus: “The study of motivation is a search
for explanations for some of the most intricate mysteries of the human existence, its proper actions”
(Bergamini, 1977: 84).
 167

“Motivation is not a form or a special impulse to be found on a certain place within the organism. It is
a term used to many organic and environmental variables that make several stimuli important to an
organism” (Catania, 1999: 77).

Bergamini (1989:106), states, “Motivation comes from the human needs and not from those things
that satisfy such needs”. Yet, he states (p.107), “People do not do the same things for the same
reasons”.
The human behavior results from the interaction of the economical, psychological, political,
anthropological and sociological factors” (Aguiar, 1981:16). “The human being is a type of a
psychological organism that fights to satisfy his needs, pursuing a complete growth and
development” (Morgan, 1996: 45).

“The individual, in being stimulated, interprets information received not only from the cognitive or
perceptive factors but also motivational so that he improves or defends his self image (Atkison et al,
1995: 562).

According to Nuttin (1983: 179) “the human cognitive functions are not reduced to the knowledge of
things the way they are, they also build projects of change, projects that guide actions of the
individual”. “The stimuli are events in the world and the responses are the instances of the behavior”
(Catania, 1999:29).

6.3.2 Simuli from the external environment

According to Aguiar (1981: 83), “the behavior standards of an individual and the way society is
structured are indicators of the cultural aspects”.

For being an organization, always defined as a social system of higher amplitude, there is also a need
to consider the cultural organization with its beliefs and values that influence the people that it
composes (Etzioni, 1971).

Culture is a set of values, expectations, attitude, beliefs and customs shared by the members of a
group, nation or religion (Aguiar, 1981; Godoy, 1995; Souza, 1978).

The same way organizational culture is made up of beliefs, habits, values, customs; people have their
own personality and are part of an organization. The human being personality is made up of
biological factors that in interacting with the environmental factors, according to Aguiar (1981),
 168

modify the biological factors and allow or do not allow its development. Aguiar yet states: the
process of incorporation of facts modifies the proper characteristics of behavior. This modification
takes place in the process of interaction of the individual with the environmental factors that
surrounds him.

De Masi (2001: 164), states, “The progressive intellectualization of all human activity is a value
emerging from a post industrial society”. The accelerated technological development introduces
economical, social and cultural mutations resulting in changes in the employments and work as well
as behavior of the individuals (Cerdeira et al, 2000).

The current working and non borders market, where technology of information allows information in
a real time, from any part of the world, allowing even more tele works, requires a new professional
profile, which demonstrates qualifications, competence, specialization and general vision. The
demands of the world of work and of the globalized society require human capacity that is projected
through qualifications, professional development and creativity as well as the professional career.

Aidar (1995: 65), states, “By the time the enterprise competitions become more challenging and the
technological advance more rapid, the definition of quality as technical conformity is losing its
importance (...)”. In this way, the greater challenge becomes qualification of the individuals so that
they are capable for the competitive market, are able to be employed and commit themselves to the
professional growth.

The new employment model that is being developed makes an individual responsible for his
professional career and not for his employment (Kovacs, 2003).

6.3.3 Stimuli from institutional environments

“The environment is considered a system of stimuli that evocate on the individual a complex of
reactions aimed to producing certain behavior, that is, a suitable response to the stimulus. These
stimuli may have unpredicted consequences by the organization” (March & Simon, 1981:61-62).

Tolfo (2000:14) states, “The instability on the organizational environments generates different
strategies for the working process administration, and the worker that levels becomes more educated,
participative and multipurpose.
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According to (2001: 23), “in each moment of new lives, there is a pursuit in an instinctive way, plan
and program actions for future, that is, the human brain is always trying to abstract a meaning of the
future”. “These plans are future hypothetical conditions of the environment in which we establish our
relationships, and as our memories “future memories” provide a subconscious guideline to help us
determine what received information is relevant” (De Geus, 2001: 24). “The interaction of several
environmental factors such as economical, psychological, social, anthropological, biological, political
and cultural result in a dynamic that is responsible for training, development and change in the human
behavior that is not stable” (Aguiar, 1981: 17).

With the regard to the cognitive processes and the human behavior in the organization, the basic
perception for the understanding of behavior, once the perceptive process allows that people build
their reality. However, perception receives influence from environmental and internal factors of each
individual (Aguiar, 1981).

“The organizations are not conditioned only by the respective environments but also by the
unconscious interests of its members and by the unconscious forces that determine the societies in
which they exist” (Morgan, 1996: 216).

6.3.4 Individual Perception of stimuli

According to Bowditch and Buono (1992: 69), “the major determiner to the perception of an
individual is its personality”. Personality receives in its development influences from the biological
covering, from socialization and from experimented sensations (Aguiar, 1981; Bowditch & Buono,
1992). That is why people have different perceptions of reality because personality of each person is
unique.

The perception of stimuli takes place through sense organs such as vision, hearing, smell, taste and
touch “The individual perception of stimulus refers to the process through which people receive,
organize and interpret information of their environment” (Bowditch & Buono, 1992: 75).

6.4 From adaptation of the materials

The selected materials for this exercise were part of a common program of face to face lessons of the
master’s course of one of IHE responsible for training natural sciences and mathematics teachers.
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Bearing in mind that there was distance education in the referred IHE and the e-learning was a
reality, there was the feeling to design a test in video-conference. This way and because the materials
were already in an electronic version for its exhibition with support of data-show, the process for its
adaptation was swift and flexible.

And because these sessions were preceded by a face-to-face lesson where the students participants of
this study were explained the objectives and told the place of the virtual sessions, the support
materials of this module were given in a form of hard copy.

6.5 From the learning conditions

The multimedia environment uses technology in informatics to organize rationally information in

virtual scenaries of interactivity and stimulate learning. These scenaries simulate dialogues with the
students and present several situations that provide also the possible alternative answers. The aim of
this process is that the learning environment provides the necessary conditions so that people become
authors of their discoveries.

Regardless the name it takes, what characterizes this strategy (or model, as some prefer) educational
is, in the last analysis, the separation between the teacher and the student. The contact among these
two characters is immediate. This means that this happens through other resources that are not oral
exhibitions of the teacher. In this way, it can be said that in the distance education, the teaching
activity takes place in a moment prior learning (in the more precise terms, to the initial learning
effort, as it is understood that learning is an internal process that is not restricted to the moment of
contact of the student with his teacher).

For that, there was an intense work developed for the preparation of the learning sessions involving
technicians, engineers and pedagogics. The study center was organized in a private IHE. This IHE
provided also well equipped and air-conditioned resource centers.

6.6 About online sessions

The way in which the formats are conceived and produced is extremely important for the
learners/students motivation.
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The quality of formats used is the first sign of the training quality. In not obviously being the unique,
the quality of the training formats is determiner of the learning success. In this case, the curriculum
contents were distributed to the students is a video-conference format as the table below shows 6.1.

Figure 6.1: scheme used in online sessions

The video-conference is an efficient tool that can be used in distance education. This system can be
integrated in the teaching process, with a minimal adaptation in the course curriculum and conceived
to ensure communication, video and audio among other communication points.

Many video-conference systems use digital video to transmit images in movement through
information nets that use only processing technologies and flow of data.

a) Advantages

Video-conference can be efficient for allowing a visual contact in a real time, be it between students
and their teacher or among students themselves in different places.

The meetings between schools besides the sessions of distance training, this type of equipment can be
used for multiple activities within IHE, namely, for the meeting between IHE and any student,
students with small interaction, students from other IHE at national and international level, work
meeting with teachers, etc.

Integration on the net of video-conference – the introduction of video-conference systems with higher
quality and availability will generate a significant increase in video-conference equipment in school
institutions. The existence of video-conference systems in institutions makes them be suitable
candidates to expand their activities to the study centers, encouraging and motivating the students
through virtual activities.
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Innovation image – the creation and implementation of this academic platform allows the
transmission of an innovation image and technical capacity in the field of audio and video by the
involved school institutions.
Provide information channel to institutions – this channel by aggregating a greater set of information
can also call more visitors than the usual informative channels of each institution.

b) Disadvantage

It is necessary to pay attention to the evolution that this media presents and understand what the
characteristics are and susceptible functions to be used in distance education contexts.

With the existing technologies, it is possible to have a computer connected to several points
simultaneously. So, to access to multiple conferences through a digital telephone system is a reality.
At the same time, the access to several telephone lines will become a complex task is small means.
The other point to consider is related to the cost, that is, if the cost of each call is multiplied by the
quantity of lines used, it can be an eliminating factor in the use of these technologies. The video
conference presents, besides these disadvantages, other negative aspects like the higher cost of
equipment and the booking of the digital telephone lines.

The organization of sessions is very important for the success of training. Therefore, it is necessary to
predict communication problems that may arise in the dialogue teacher/learner and in the structuring
of the session that require feasible solutions to sort them out (Vandergrift, 2002).

In fact, in the course of the first online session there were some communication problems. Due to the
reduced and floating transmission speed (because it is shared), there was greater interference in
communication that ended up interrupting the session.

6.7 Evaluations of the sessions

The purpose of evaluation consists of determining if the methods and materials are suitable for
reaching the goals and objective drawn.

There are several types of evaluation that can be used in the distance education (Santos, 2000).

 Students´ evaluation, which aims to comparing knowledge and skills developed by

them. This evaluation can be given using tests or final, individual or group tasks, given
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at the beginning of the course (pre-tests), during and after finishing the course (post-
tests), depending on the interest, needs and progress of the student.
 Evaluation of training that can be used to review the course throughout the period it is
implemented. To verify if the objectives are suitable as well as the level of individual
satisfaction, the student´s opinion about the pragmatic, positive and negative aspects.
 Evaluation of the system, which allows evaluating the technologies used, evaluation,
understanding, services, duration and organization.

For the objectives of the current study, it is important for the researcher to give a partial evaluation of
training and system through the use of statistical analysis that is supported by the statistical package
SPSS. For that, there was a questionnaire applied to the students for the objective of gathering data
was to get their opinion regarding the module of the post graduation course and for the purpose of
introducing a platform of distance education at that level of teaching. The use of this methodological
instrument was via e-mail, involved all students enrolled in the masters’ course in natural sciences
and mathematics. From the evaluation it was felt that videoconference was a valuable means in
learning of the proposed content, which shows its potential use as a strategy for teaching and
learning.

The researcher believes that from the first experience, the outcomes got show that the
videoconference is a means used for facilitating learning and not as an end in it. In this context of
transformations that the world lives currently, there was technology shown that can be used so that
learning is effective.

There were unanimous responses from the students of the master’s course in relation to the questions
in the evaluation instrument of the distance education module (Appendix B, see page 227). The issue
related to motivation divided the group of the students in relation to the moment in which the
discussion should take place. Motivation is fundamental for learning to take place and this must
always be considered in the evaluation of a project on the video-conference perspective because if the
students are motivated, they are ready to carry on a teaching and learning process.
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The proposed objectives were fulfilled at 100%. This evaluation is reinforced when 100% of the
students show interest in participating in the other experience.

6.8 Conceptions and models of reflective practice on training

This section has a literature review about the conceptions and models of reflective practice. It presents
several understandings of the reflection conpcept and its contents, the necessary conditions to the
development of this process, its role in the teacher´s practice and the characteristics of the reflective
teacher. In the second part there are some models of the reflective practice based on the relationship
between action and reflection.

The acknowledgement that the teacher plays an essential role in the teaching and learning process, has
been conducting an increased interest in the teacher´s study and his or her practices. Without
forgetting the importance of several factors that influence the quality of teaching as a social
organization at school, the material resources, the curriculum, etc., attention has been addressed to the
teacher has responsible for the nature and quality in teaching (Pérez, 1992). What the teacher does in
the classroom in terms of tasks that he or she suggests, the learning environment that the teacher
provides and the type of speech that the teacher develops, influence the students´s learning. That is
why it is always important to analyse the proper teaching process aimed to “understanding how the
professionals solve the conflicts and dilemas that they come across in their day to day life, what
competences manifest when they put into practice an innovation and what knowledge composes their
professional knowledge” (Guimarães, 1996: 10).

Associated to the importance given to the teacher´s study, the issues of knowing how his/her
knowledge is formed and develops has been bringing about some attention from the researchers and
educators. The reflection about the practices is one of the aspects that have been refered to as being a
basis for the development of professional knowledge of the teacher. For example and according to
Serrazina (1999a), it is through reflection about the practices that the teacher is able to evaluate in a
critical way his/her performance. In so doing, there is some comprehension developed about his/her
practice enriching his/her repertory and improving his/her capacity of solving problems (Schön, 1983).
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6.8.1 Conceptions of reflective practice

Reflective practice and reflective teacher are terms that started being used insistently in the United
States of America as a reply to the technical rationality model (Pérez, 1992), on which the teaching is
an activity where the problems are well typified, falling to the teacher the role of applying the
scientific theories. Currently, the conceptions of teaching and of the teacher appear in a such way
associated to the concept of reflection that make it difficult to find teacher training proposals which do
not refer to him/her. However, reflection is not a new concept in the educational literature and the
notion of reflective practice has been widely used in the teaching context.

For Zeichner (1993), the term reflective practice besides having become in a slogan of the teaching
reform and teacher training worldwide, it has been used by researchers, trainers and teachers with
different meanings. This author describes four historical traditions of the reflective practice that in his
understanding coexist in the initial training: (i) academic tradition in which the reflective practice is
restricted to knowledge translation of the subjects for the development of comprehension of the future
teacher, (ii) social eficience tradition that is related to the use of teaching strategies which result from
the research, (iii) developmental that stresses a reflection on the students´s development and, finally,
(iv) social reconstruction tradition that stresses a reflection on the social and political schooling
context.

Also Calderhead (1989), cited by Zeichner (1993) considers that the reflective practice has been
justified in several ways in the professional training context. According to the author, the several
contexts of the reflective practice vary according to four dimensions: the reflection concept, the
previous conditions to reflection, the reflection content and the reflection product. Before presenting
the characteristics of a reflective teacher and before analyzing some of the models of the reflective
model, the researcher proposes himself to dicuss several aspects of the reflection process according to
the dimensions presented by this author.

6.8.2 Reflection Concept

Greater part of literature about this issue inspires itself on the works of John Dewey, namely, in his
book published for the first time in 1933, entitled How we think. For this author, the reflection consists
on “active examination, persistent and careful of all beliefs or supposed forms of knowledge, in the
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light of the principles that support them and from the conclusions so that they tend” (Dewey, 1989,
cited by Infante, Silva & Alarcão, 1996:157). Dewey characterizes in this way the reflection as an act
that involves an deep analysis of what is believed or of what is commonly done, evidenciating the
motives and consequences of those convictions or actions. For this author, there is a greater distinction
between the human reflective act and the routine. This is, above all, guided by an impulse, habit or
submission to authority. On the contrary, the reflection consists of questioning, based on the goodwill
and intuition and implies seeking for logical and rational solutions for the problems.

According to Shulman (1987), the reflection is above all “the process from which the professional
learns experience” (p. 19). And what does the teacher do when, in retrospect, analyse the teaching and
learning, reconstructs the events, the feelings and the actions. For this author, the reflection can not
only be looked at as a mere disposition or as a set of strategies, consisting on the use of a type of
specific knowledge which is called analytical knowledge that is considered fundamental for the
support of the teacher´s work.

For Schön (1983), greater part of our actions goes along with thought and judgement. We not only
think about what we do but also when such actions take place. This author considers that both
constitute forms of reflection: a reflection about the action and the reflection in the action. In
describing reflection in the action of a reflective teacher, Schön (1992a) refers to four moments that are
part of such process: a first moment is characterized by the availability that the teacher has in
surprising himself with what the student does or says; within the second moment the teacher reflects
about what the student did or said; the third moment is characterized by an attempt of reformulating
the proposed issue to the student; and finally within the fourth moment, raises a new issue to test
hypothesis that formulated about the student´s way of thinking. Reflection about the action relays on
the attitude, strategies and thoughts that takes place at the end of the teaching activities. So, when the
teacher reflects about his/her own experience, in his/her questioning processes, in his/her attitudes and
strategies, thoughts and decisions, is reflecting about the action besides these two forms of reflection,
Schön (1992a) yet presents another reflection process that can be carried out afterwards: a reflection
about reflection on the action.

For Alarcão (1996a) this last form of reflection is fundamental for the development of the teacher´s
professional knowledge, by helping the teacher understand future problems or discover new solutions.
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In her perspective, reflection serves as a specialized way of thinking taking the subject into a
questioning process of knowledge and experience and requires a self-understanding attitude and
understanding of the surroundings. So, for this author, to be reflective is above all, “have the capacity
to use thought as a provider of sense” (Alarcão, 1996a: 175). Dealt with as a capacity, it is possible
and desirable to be developed according to a set of favourable conditions from which sticks up the
personal involvement and the sense of discovery.

Darsie and Carvalho (1996) retake the concept of “withdrawn reflection” from Astolfi (1991) and
Peterfalvi (1991), state that it is a process from which the subject is taken to a thought, on the second
place, about self actions or intellectual activities. These authors consider that it is through a distance
look about the object of learning that the teacher builds new knowledge or new understandings of
known things. These authors yet refer that the withdrawn reflection about learning can unleash a
reflection about action like what Schön defined but it does not drain on it.

Refering to the nature of the reflection process, Pérez (1992:103) states, “ a reflection is not a «clear»
knowledge, but a contaminated knowledge resulting from contingences that surround and impregnate
the proper vital experience”. For this author, reflection can not only be looked at as an individual
psychological process regardless of the context and social relationships. In implying an analysis of
experience of each person, reflection implies also a set of values, connotations, feelings, social and
political interests inherent to such experience.

6.8.3 Previous Conditions to reflection

Considering the reflective action as a process that besides implying a search of logical and rational
solutions aimed to problem solving, it implies also intuition and passion, Zeichner (1993:18) states
that it can not be dealt with as “a set of techniques that can be packed and taught to the teacher”. For
this author, reflection does not consist of a set of steps or specific procedures. In the author´s
perspective, to be reflective is above all, a way of being a teahcer.

Pollard and Tann (1989), although they share the idea that the process of reflection involves aspects
related to the nature of each person, desire and intuition, they consider also that these require certain
flexibility, rigidity on the analysis and social conscienciousness, aspects that in their opinion are
fundamental and passible to be developed. These authors present and describe three types of
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competences/skills that they think are necessary to the fulfillment of the reflective teaching: (i)
empirical; (ii) analytical and (iii) evaluative. The empirical competences are related to a perception of
what happens in the classroom and at school and implies the capacity to gather data, describe
situations, processes, causes and effects. The data includes not only the description of what is done and
of what is observed but also the feelings and thoughts. The analytical competences correspond to the
competences necessary for data interpretation, fundamental for the construction of theories. The
evaluation competences involve the capacity of thinking on the educational consequences of the
developed work and of being able to use the outcomes in future experiments.

Also Marcelo (1992) recognises the importance of these competences by saying that the teachers have
to dominate a set of dexterities or cognitive skills and metacognitive inherent to the reflection process,
being fundamental that the teacher´s training, be it initial or permanent, propitiates its development.
However, he considers that these dexterities or skills, though necessary, are not sufficient.

Dewey (1989), Cited by Marcelo (1992) describes a set of attitudes and personal teacher´s
predispositions that are indispensable in the reflective action. The first, an open mind, is related to the
desire for listening and respect different perspectives, taking into account possible alternatives and
recognising the possibility of a mistake/error. This attitude forces “an examination of the reasons of
what happens in the classroom, investigate the conflictual evidences, look for several answers for the
same question, reflect about a way of improving what exists, etc.” (Marcelo, 1992: 62). The second
attitude, of responsibility, implies considering the consequences of the developed and planned work,
giving certain coherence to what is defended. It is above all, a careful deliberation of the consequences
of a certain action or actions. Lastly, the third attitude necessary to reflection is enthusiasm. That is, a
predisposition to be questioned, curiosity to be looked for and energy to be renewed.

Also Zeichner (1993), based on Dewey´s ideas, emphasizes the importance of these attitudes in the
reflection process. However, warns that responsibility attitude is not related only to the issues of the
immediate use such as knowing if the objectives and goals were reached and if they were established
at the beginning of a lesson. In this author´s opinion, responsibility implies reflection about three types
of teacher´s working consequences: “personal consequences – the effects of the teacher´s teaching on
the learners´self concepts; academic consequences – the effects of the teacher´s teaching on the
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learners´intellectual development; political and social consequences – the effects of the teacher´s
teaching on the learners´lives” (p. 19).

6.8.4 Reflection Content

Zeichner and Liston (1987) establish three different reflection levels or analysis of the school reality.
The first, which is called technical reflection, corresponds to an analysis of the explicit actions of the
teacher. It consists of on the analysis that the teacher does in the classroom and which is possible to be
observed. For example, the way the teacher moves in the classroom, the questions the teacher makes,
the way the teacher manages several situations in the classroom that occur, etc. This level of reflection
centers itself on the events of the classroom and on the teacher´s actions.

The second level implies planning and reflection. The planning corresponds to what is to be done,
according to the knowledge the teacher has about the techniques of instruction and about interests,
needs, difficulties and learners´ learning styles. Reflection corresponds to the analysis of what
happened and what was observed in the light of theoretical knowledge that the teacher has. This
theoretical knowledge includes issues about the nature of the subject that is taught, the learning
processes, about learners and the vast schooling objectives. There is here a worry about the
presuppositions, values, consequences to which they are linked to (Amaral, Moreira & Ribeiro, 1996).

The last level, which is called for its level of ethical considerations, includes ethical analysis or
teacher´s political actions and the teacher´s contextual repercurssion. Reflection falls on the way the
institutional and social structures influence the teacher´s work (Amaral et al., 1996). This level of
reflection is, on the Zeichner (1993), perspective that is important for the development of the teacher’s
critical consciousness about their teaching and the social conditions that model their teaching
experience.

6.8.5 Reflection Product

According to Shulman (1987), reflection is a process from which the teachers develop new
compreension be it of the objectives and of the teaching materials, as of the learners and their learning
processes. When the teacher, retrospectively, rebuilds the events, remembers the emotions and
confronts with what happens with the initial objectives, develops a new comprehension about its
teaching.
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If Shulman attributes to reflection a fundamental role in the development of a new comprehension,

Schön (1983) stresses its importance on the changes of the teacher’s practices. For this author,
reflection is a process, which allows the enrichment of the teacher´s repertoire, and improves the
teacher´s capacity of problem solving. Through reflection on and about action, the teacher increases
knowledge about the teaching and learning processes. Each new experience of reflection, about what
happened and about what is happening in the classroom, will increase the teacher´s capacity to act and
this will help the teacher in future decision taking. For Schön, reflection constitutes above all, a way of
dealing with the practice problems. In trying to put new possibilities towards situations that take place
daily and in his activities, the teacher understands his teaching and increases his capacity if identifying
problems as well as the implementation of their solutions.

In the same perspective, Morais (1993:28), considers that “reflection about the practices determines
new practices that are more adjusted and more efficient”. For this author, besides the good knowledge
of the learners and of the teaching and learning strategies, the teacher must develop reflection
capacities that will allow him or her solve the problems that take place in the classroom in a fair way.
In other words, it is from reflection about the strategies used for the improvement of the learners´
learning that the teacher changes and adjusts the teaching practices. She states also that the
reflection/action process constitutes a “generator of a formative research towards the situations that
take place in the classroom” (p. 28), by developing the introspection capacities, by giving room to the
ideas from others and by analyzing other alternatives and new implications.

Darsie and Carvalho (1996) recognise the importance of reflection, which, is understood as withdrawn
reflection, in the rebuilding of teachers knowledge. According to these authors, reflection consists of a
process that leads to conscious taking of the proper knowledge, theoretical or practical, from which it
is possible, a reorganization of such knowledge. Including in the reflection “distanciada” reflection
about an action, these authors emphasize its importance in rebuilding teacher´s practical knowledge
that allows him or her to face practical situations and at the same time, trying to improve and modify
it.

Thompson (1992) considers that reflection has a very important role in the changes of the teachers’
beliefs. Suggesting the existence of an interaction between conceptions and practices, that is, between
what the teachers think and what teachers really do, this author sees reflection as a key factor to enable
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them reorganize their actions and beliefs. Also Serrazina (1999a), considers that reflection has a
fundamental role in the change of the teachers practices and beliefs, being able to contribute for the
substantial reorganization of the teaching and change of the teachers´ knowledge.

Zeichner (1993) emphasizes the importance of “critical reflection” about social educational
implications. Even recognising the importance of reflection about the aspects that are directly linked to
instruction, this author calls attention for the need of including the more general aspects that are
related with the teaching and with the social conditions that influence. For this author, the teachers
must not concentrate only to the efforts in the seek of more effective and efficient means to reach
certain objectives, considering fundamental that there should be questions about the political and
social consequences of their teaching in learners´s lives. The author criticizes those who accept
passively the daily reality of their schools, defending that reflection viewed in this way, will have an
emancipating role of the teaching class. Through the critical analyses and discussion, of what the
author calls practical teachers theories, these will have more sayings about the development of their
profession.

Also for Alarcão (1996a), the role of reflection is not stuck in a possible structure of the action, being
fundamental to allow the teacher´s increasing autonomy. For this author, the object of reflection must
include not only the teacher´s activity but also teacher´s function, which imply the knowledge about
the reasons of their actions and consciousness of the role the teachers play. In this way, the teachers
can conquer the necessary autonomy which, will allow them become active agents of their self-
professional development and the functioning of their schools.

6.8.6 Characteristics of the reflective teacher

Korthagen and Wubbels (2001) present four characteristics that they confer to a reflective teacher and
a set of aspects that are related to the development of this capacity. Some of these aspects are
generated not only from the proper reflective characteristics that the teachers own but also from their
background. The authors refer specifically to the type of training that they had and to the type of
situations that they have come across throughout their lives.

The first characteristic that Korthagen and Wubbels (2001) confer to a reflective teacher is related to
the importance that is given to the proper reflection. Besides the capacity of structuring situations and
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problems related to with the teacher´s practice, a reflective teacher considers fundamental to make it.
This attitude has its reflections on the type of work that the teacher develops with the learners,
stimulating them to reflect. The fulfillment of research activities that involve certain structure by the
learners themselves, are examples of work that the teacher with this characteristic values.

On the second place, a teacher with this capacity analyses his or her practices, asking him or herself
issues such as: What happened? Why it happened? What implications had my acting about what
happened? What should I have done differently? According to Korthagen and Wubbels (2001), this
posture is very often related to previous teachers’ experiences, namely, how they come about the
situations that required a certain structuring of their problems. They consider also that the way the
teachers respond to these issues is influenced by the image that they have of themselves as
professionals. For Korthagen and Wubbels (2001), the teachers that own a higher self-concept of
efficiency centre reflection on the learners, learning while the ones that own a negative idea of their
efficiency tend to focus on themselves.

For these authors, another characteristic of a reflective teacher is the facility with which the teacher
identifies aspects above which needs or needs to learn, allowing the teacher structure in a clear way
the proper teaching. In this way and according to these authors, the reflective teachers present also
higher predisposition in writing and in talking about their own experiences and they develop a higher
degree of professional satisfaction easily. These results are from a comparative study fulfilled by
Korthagen and Wubbels (2001), which includes teachers taking an initial teacher training course
where reflection was an aspect that was highly valued and a control group.

Finally, according to Korthagen and Wubbels (2001), a reflective teacher is able to describe and
analyse his or her acting in interpersonal relationships with others. They consider that this aspect
assumes particular importance in the improvement of the relationships that the teacher establishes with
the learners and on how he or she deals with their individual needs.

6.8.7 Models of the reflective practice

As it was seen previously, the term reflection can have different meanings according to the
understanding that is got of its nature, of its contents, of its role and of the necessary conditions to its
fulfillment. The term reflective practice is currently being used in different contexts and with different
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meanings (Marcelo, 1992). A possibility of analyzing the different models of the reflective practice
has to do with the action and reflection such as it peoposed by Weis and Louden (1989), cited by
Garcia (1992). These authors, based on this relationship, identify four models of reflective practice
that are distinguished essentially by the moments and forms of reflection.

The first form is retrospection that presupposes a relative withdrawing to daily activities. This form of
reflection consists on the acquisition and personal analysis of whatsoever has happened in the
classroom, and on which the teacher rethinks his or her conceptions and considers his or her thoughts
and feelings. The information that is got is not related with the daily activities. It corresponds
beforehand to “information about principles of the procedures that are conceptual schemes relatively
permanent on the teachers” (Marcelo, 1992:64).

It seems to be in this way that Pombo (1993) perspectivates reflection in the initial teacher training
courses, for this author, the reflective activity requires from the future teachers “a critical withdrawing
relatively to the proper scientific and pedagogical competence” (p. 41). On the other side, stating that a
“reflection is an interrogative activity intentionaly oriented” (p. 41), the author defends that this
activity can not be confused with the common sensus, claiming it to the philosophical area. She
proposes the introduction of a reflective component in the initial training that must contemplate three
domains: educational reflection, that questions the major endings of education, political reflection that
discusses the meaning and the functions of school institutions and lastly, epistemological and
interdisciplinary reflection that develops the critical capacity of the teacher in relation to the proper
wisdom.

The second form, the exam, consists on the reporting of the events or passed actions, present actions
or actions that can occur in future. This form of reflection is closer to action by requiring the frequency
of events of the school life. The ones that use the concept of narrative unit as a way of having access
to teachers´ knowledge through their diaries, interviews or observation are examples of this reflection.
We can place in this perspective, Oliveira (1998), who considers that the narratives can have a very
important role for the promotion of reflection for the teachers´training colleges and professional
development. According to this author, the narratives are a way of representing knowledge resulting
from action. Besides being a way from which the teacher thinks about actions, Ramos and Gonçalves
 184

(1996) yet refer to its importance in the redimensioning the past and by creating new perspective for
the future.

It seems also that this form of reflection supported by Darsie and Carvalho (1996) for the initial
teacher training gives value to the use of diary for the written register after each daily lesson. For these
authors, the diaries allow the future teachers reflect about their learning, practices, experiences and
beliefs that can also promote reflection about teaching in general.

The third form of reflection is searching/indagation. It seems to be in this way that Alarcão (1996a) the
development of reflective practice by saying that the reflective teaching takes place through a cyclical
process which is called action-reflection-action. After this action, when the teacher describes what he
or she did or thought, becomes conscious of the reasons that made the teacher act and furthermore
interpreting them. Through interpretation of the teacher´s acts in confrontation with the teacher him or
herself and with others, the teacher determines aspects that he or she will alter in his or her practice.
Through this process, the teacher knows him or herself as a professional and becomes conscious of the
conditions through which he exercises his or her profession. It is in this way that reflection is
understood in this work.

Also, for Pollard and Tann (1989), reflective teaching develops through a cyclic process on which
teachers continuosly monitor, evaluate and review their practice. The cycle begins with the creation of
a plan with the decision taking followed by action. Monitoring the teaching enables the teacher to
observe and gather information about him or herself and about learners´intentions, actions and
feelings. Afterwards, this set of data must be analysed critically and evaluated and later shared and
judged and finally decisions taken. In the end, the teacher reviews his or her options and starts a new
cycle, planning and acting according to the outcomes of the reflection he or she does.

According to Marcelo (1992), this form of reflection, besides allowing an analysis of didactical
aspects of the teacher´s lesson, it allows also a profound analysis of the causes and the posture of the
teacher. For this author, searching/indagation introduces an intention of change of the practice
enriching/improving that other forms of reflection do not have/contemplate. This form of reflection
appears very often associated with the concept of research-action understood as a model of the
reflective practice that allows the teachers analyse their practice identifying at the same time strategies
for its improvement.
 185

Spontaneity is the last form of reflection. It refers to the teacher´s thought during the teaching act,
giving room for improvisation, problem solving and decision taking towards unpredicted situations
that occur in the teacher´s practice. This form of reflection is called by Schön (1983) as reflection-on
the-action and it is one that is found closer to action, by being a spontaneous way of teachers´acting
and thinking while it (action) occurs.

Lee and Loughran (2000), based on the Schön´s ideas, present a model of reflection-action. Towards a
problematic situation, the teacher builds a first idea about the way of solving a problem. This first
phase, called pre-reflective is influenced by feelings and emotions, normally of perplexity and
surprise, and by the way each teacher thinks about his or her work and by the meaning that is given to
such beliefs. This phase is characterized by the construction of a problem and by the attempt of
identifying their characteristics. The upcoming phase called by reflective phase is characterized by a
construction, that is, by change on the form how the teacher faces initial problematic situations. This
reconstruction is done according with the examples repertore, images, comprehension and teacher´s
actions. The last phase is called solution. However, the authors warn that, in this phase, the problem
may necessarily not be solved; there can be a better understanding that will serve as a basis for the
reconstruction and understanding of future problematic situations.

Summing it up, the review done enhances the multiplicity of interpretations of reflective practice
depending, essentially, on the concept of reflection that is adopted. It seems consensual that reflection
constitutes a process for which it is fundamental the existence of a set of attitudes and predispositions
that result not only from the proper reflective characteristics, which the teachers own, but also from
their training and situations that they come across throughout their lives. Reflection seems to build
also an important strategy for the development of a wider understanding about the teacher´s practices
and the teacher´s capacity of solving problems.
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6.9 Conclusion

This study meets the current country´s need in expanding and disseminating knowledge and training
to the greater number of people.

As it was referred to in section 1.2 of chapter 1 the central problem of this research was:

 Will Distance Education, in virtual learning environments, a feasible alternative for the
natural sciences and mathematics continuous teacher training, so that he plays his role
as a transformer agent of the Mozambican reality?

For its approach, the following research questions were made/asked:

1. How to diagnose the level of use of information technology and communications on the
natural sciences and mathematics teachers of the second cycle of general education?
2. What administrative and pedagogic processes orientate/guide planning and organization of
post graduation courses ministered via distance education in virtual learning environments?
3. What indicators can orientate the implementation and evaluation of a post graduation
course ministered via distance education and based on the virtual learning environments, on
e-learning models and video-conference?
4. What teacher´s competences in the classroom can be identified as a guarantee that the
objectives of the post graduation program were reached?

This study tried to respond these research questions advocating that the new technologies of
information and communication (ITC) are associated to specific objectives of teaching/learning so
that it becomes more supported, more participative, more reflected with more student and teachers
interaction, more continuous throughout learning. The ITCs and in particular the e-learning
technologies and video-conference offer to the teachers several possibilities to develop a model of
traditional teaching according to the new references for learning. The integrated academic platform of
e-learning and video-conference, offering a wider and integrated set of functions, allowing the
creation of distributed environments that can support new approaches of higher education.

On the other side, the interaction and the participation can be improved through communication tools
like a computer. This tool can efficiently be supported by the collaborative activities and these can
 187

create enriched and authentic environments, creating at the same time, facilitating conditions for
understanding the learning environment to society and overtake the understanding of the local nature
(1993). The pedagogic strategies of higher education that use efficiently the technologies can promote
active learning (Laurillard, 1993) that is student centered, valuing their personal experiences and
participation. There should be emphasis on the strategy in which the learning is developed in social
environments and in environments that are culturally rich (Figueiredo, 2000) and which contribute for
the construction of development contexts of community virtual learning. There is here a reference
frame for the conception of support environments to the teaching and learning processes proposed by
Jonassen, the constructivist learning environments (CLE – Constructive Learning Environment).

In this way, in exploring educational and learning theories, one can conclude that there are no
definite answers due to complexity of the learning moment, that to have a commitment with learning
it is already an important indicator of the right path. This is because education ruled only to teaching
brought about low educational indexes. Would not then be possible for us to think about quality, in
any educational model, persisting in the same old pedagogical models, still stuck to behaviorist
education?

It is understood that there is no theory that responds to all questions from who teaches and from who
learns, but there are well defined indicators as this study suggests, if they can not ensure quality in
education, they can at least show some paths for that.

In this search there was reference in terms of the distance between information and knowledge. There
is a will of doubting the simplest discuses about “knowledge management”, “construction of
knowledge”, “knowledge dissemination” as it were something depending only on a simple exchange
of information. In this way, the researcher defends that knowledge is not built on its own; on the
contrary, it is built by the individual that gives meaning from his previous, explicit and implicit
knowledge.

The comprehension of quality in education can be understood as going through several variables, that
is, it is not only enough to have access to education or even to have access to learning. There is also a
need for ensuring more than that, as it requires outcomes of what is being learned. The outcomes
today point to an economical modernization and at the same time, to social development. The
outcomes of this study state that the distance education needs all of us and it also needs more
 188

pedagogic cares than the face-to-face education so that quality is ensured. So, there is a proposal in
this study for an academical platform of distance education, which is based on virtual learning
environments and on e-learning models and video conference as an attempt of giving support to
processes and procedures of HEI that are launched in this teaching model.

This platform had its sustenance in the first two stages of the research that served as a base for its
development and it has shown that to be efficient and powerful in its validation according to the
outcomes shown in chapter 5. This validation reinforces the idea that for quality in education it is not
only the use of high technology nor the fundamental and updated contents that will ensure it, it is not
also sufficient the diversity of the resources nor the colourful lessons and animation objects while
there is no knowledge about the way things should go, there is no reason for going and how to get to
the way, the pedagogical management in inter relation with the technological and administrative
management is a determiner of quality of the distance education processes as it is responsible for
planning, preparation, operationalization and evaluation of the educational processes. Characteristics
like organization, discipline, autonomy, time management, tolerance, knowledge management,
criticism, collaboration and to know to deal with several information are essential for the
development of an educational project at distance based on virtual learning environments. However,
these characteristics do not fit only to the students but also to the teachers who are the conductors of
the process as pedagogic and didactical learning facilitators.

Be it on the conception or on the development of the VLE there should be attitudes, factual
information, data, observational processes, definitions, deductive and inductive inferences, problem
solving and learning strategies considerations.

In this scenery the teaching and learning process administered by the computer and specifically in
VLE takes a more flexible character. So, the teaching and learning process in this context seems to
take a more dynamic character and above all, the collaborative. The tendency is to amplify in an
accelerated way the offer and seek for the distance education courses in its several formats and
contents.

The Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are marked by a new time/space relation supported and
promoted by the digital technology increase. Besides this, this technology empowers communication
and interaction among individuals through different functioning available on the environment. These
 189

individuals are able to communicate, participate, cooperate developing at the same time the
construction of a collective knowledge.

However, the lack of some clearly defined theoretical principles and suitable national policies gives
room for the reproduction of the face to face pedagogical practices in the Virtual Learning
Environments, yet in adaptations.

It is believed that the use of the VLEs in teaching and learning processes requires a committed
comprehension of this universe, conditions, cultural, institutional and social contexts to suit the
teaching and learning processes and give room to the didactical implementations necessary aimed to
offer conditions for the generalization of the learning experiences as well as they applicability.

Among the pedagogical challenges that these new spaces present for pedagogy, cognition sciences
and computing in the conception, development and implementation phases, there should be detached
the need for fundamented theoretical principles in the activity theory that orientates the organization
of the teaching work in virtual learning environments of support to learning in the methodological
and didactical aspects.

From the didactical point of view, the teacher whose role is teaching in the distance education must
have knowledge of a specific area but, above all, he must be able to use appropriate methodological
procedures, giving meaning to the curriculum and the teaching practices according to specificity and
peculiarities of the didactic and pedagogical objectives aimed to reaching, the target population as
well as the media used.

This thesis that had its fundamental objective to respond to a problem regarding the expansion of the
continuous teacher training in Mozambique, also ends up contributing to reflection about semi face to
face and face to face education. This evidence results from theoretical and empirical the analyses that
were carried out. For several times, it had become difficult to say that it was a reflection just for the
distance education as it became clear for the researcher that it was discussing education on its
plenitude.

In this way, there was an investigation in an attempt of responding to the general objective, which
was – Invest in the improvement of teaching in the classroom through natural sciences and
 190

mathematics teacher continuous training based on the virtual learning environments – and specific
objectives that are organized in four major perspectives:

 Diagnose the level of use of information technology and communications by the

teachers of the natural sciences and mathematics in the second cycle of the general
education;
 Reflect on planning and organization of a post graduation course for teachers of
natural sciences and mathematics in the second cycle of general education to be
ministered at distance, in virtual learning environments, on e-learning models and
video conference;
 Adapt, implement and evaluate a post graduation course for natural sciences and
mathematics teachers of the second cycle of general education ministered at distance,
based on virtual learning environments, on e-learning models and video conference;
 Analyse whether the presuppositions of the post graduation program were reached, so
that the teacher’s competence in the classroom is reinforced, reducing the rotactivity of
the school system.

6.9.1 The proposed platform

The distance education platform that is presented in Figure 6.2 (page 194) is based on two types of
distinct equipments, namely the HEI equipment and the Study Centre, which are described below.

HEI Equipment - The HEI equipment is specific and is the base for this whole system. It requires
specialized and ergonomic equipment so that it gives highest desire and mobility to teachersers. The
system should use MoRENet infra-structure present on the venue, in case this is still not available,
they can use the mobile cell net of 3G.

The equipment that is present on the HEI must be highly portable, ergonomic, integrated and oriented
to the teachers function during their sessions of video conference. The teacher must be able to move
in an independent way and be able to interact directly with the learners from the study centre in audio
and video being able to present visual details using a second camera.
 191

The equipment to be installed on the HEI must have capacity to fulfill video conferences and must
have the minimum of two cameras. One for that must face the teacher and the other one which must
be manipulated by the teacher to present visual, technical-scientific details.

The teacher will also have a headset to be able to interact in audio. This system can also be used for
the preparation of complementary contents. The system will allow interacting in a real time contents
like slides, photos and documents.

Study Centre Equipment - The equipment allocated to the study centre must be fully re-used. This
includes the (sound system, video projector and other hardware).
In general, the study centre must have audio visual basic means like:

1. Video projector / screen projector;

2. Audio visual room (small auditory with sound);
3. Video camera and a tripod;
4. Wider Band and ADSL connections;
5. Table computer or a laptop;
6. Video conference system.

In addition, there is a need of organizing a resource centre with net computer that will ensure or serve
as a support to e-learning. For example, in this moment, there should be integration to more than 30
community multimedia centres (CMC) already established in the country, as a result of activity
program of the technical unit of the implementation of the informatics policy (UTICT), in partnership
with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT), and the United Nations Development Program
(UNDP).

These centres are on an expansion phase, having a district as its target and with several actors and
partners involved. Among which is the computer science centre of the Eduardo Mondlane University
(CIUEM), The Technical Implementation Unit of the Computer Science Policy (UTICT), The United
Nations for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) and the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP).

Each of these centres has three components namely: a radio component (Community Radio), through
which the community information, news and other programs produced by the proper community are
 192

broatcast in a ray of 50 Km; the computer science component which is made up of an equiped room
with computers and printers in net with access to Internet for the community use as well as the
reprography component that includes a photocopier aimed to offering reprography services to
community.

The CMC are of community base meaning that they are managed by the proper community, having a
governance model with several stakeholders namely: the management committee which is the the top
governance of CMC and it is made up of community members, members of the district consultive
council, members of the district government; the coordinator of the centre – the CMC is managed by
a coordinator that belongs to an association which is appointed to manage day to day activities.

Similarly, among several existing associations in the district there is a sellection of one
(democratically) that is responsible for the daily management of activities and resources of CMC,
regularly reporting to the management committee and which designs the guidelines of the centre,
integrating volunteers that are part of a youth group sellected in the community. These youths are the
working force of the center and develop several activity areas namely, radio-journalism, computer
science and other services like reprography.

The Figure 6.2 presents a detailed functional organigrama of a potential platform of distance
education integrating e-learning and video conference.

The academic platform of teaching and learning would articulate several media pursuing a
bidirectional educational process that could allow a broader interaction between teachers and
students. So, the platform allows the transmission in a real time to n study centres all over the country
and could articulate with other nets of the distance education established/ or to establish by other HEI.
 193

Figure 6.2: Functional Organigram of Distance Education Platform integrating e-learning and video-conference.
Adapted from an on-line school of Tsinghua-University in China (Luzzi, 2007)

6.9.2 Topics for further studies

In believing that this work has brought relevant contributions for distance education, there is a
proposal that there should be a continuation of research about this system in the aspects that follow:

1. Development of a management tool for processes and people for the educational
institutions, combined with the pedagogical, technological and administrative
management;
2. There should be a deepening of research about administrative and technological
processes for the distance education;
3. There should be a linguistic contribution in the development of didactical materials
and support to students of distance education;
4. There should be some development of evaluation methodologies of processes and
outcomes for distance education;
 194

There is a lot to be researched and there are still gaps to be filled. These are just some of the worries
that do not comfort this researcher-learner.

The creation of means for the distance education and teaching supported by computers can bring
advantages for the HEI aimed to teachers’ initial training. This fact can be viewed as an opportunity
for publishing/broadcasting a modern image to outside and at the same time, increase hypothesis of
inviting more students, making teaching more operational.

The distance education today results from a strategy of a democratic enlargement of access to quality
education, citizen right and state and society duty. As strategy of enlargement of possibilities of
access to education, the distance education must deepen the commitment of the pedagogical project
with the historical, political and cultural project of the Mozambican society.
 195

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APPENDIXES
 Appendix A – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear teacher,

This questionnaire is intended to obtain data on the opinions and attitudes of natural sciences and
mathematics teachers, in 2nd cycle of general secondary schools, as to the use of new information and
communication technologies. The same arises in the context of training for obtaining the degree of doctor
of Education science to be conferred by Commonwealth Open University (Spain). Please answer all
questions, to allow data treatment with rigor and get reliable results. By thinking that your opinion is
very important, your collaboration will be highly valued, ensuring the confidentiality of the data
provided. Therefore we call to the goodwill and spirit of collaboration.

Thank you for your collaboration!

Instructions of fulfilling
The present questionnaire is composed by open and closed questions. In the closed questions, kindly use the
symbol x to supply the adequate answer. You can place more than one symbol x where it’s applicable.

Section I

Personal and Professional data

Kindly use the symbol x to supply the adequate answer. Place more than one symbol x where it’s applicable.

1. Sex:
1. Female
2. Male

2. Age:
1. 20 – 30 years
2. 31 – 40 years
3. 41 – 50 years
4. More than 50 years

208
 Appendix A – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

3. Qualifications:

1. Grade 12
2. Bachelor
3. Graduated
4. Measter
5. PhD

4. Professional category:

1. Teacher N1
2. Teacher N2
3. Teacher N3

5. What are the other teaching levels are you working now?

1. 1st Cycle of GSE

2. Undergraduate
3. Graduate

6. Length of Service

1. Less than 5 years

2. Between 5 and 10 years
3. Between 11 and 20 years
4. More than 20 years

7. School (s) where you are currently working

1.
2.
3.
4.

209
 Appendix A – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

8. Kindly, use the symbol x to supply the adequate answer. Place more than one symbol x where it’s
applicable.
.

At home you have N/A One Two Three ≥4

Coloured TV (functioning or in concert) 0 1 2 3 4
Radio (in functioning or concert, excluding radio of the automobile) 0 1 2 3 4
Wash Machine (functioning or in concert) 0 1 2 3 4
Video-cassete and/or DVD (functioning or in concert) 0 1 2 3 4
Refrigerator (functioning or in concert) 0 1 2 3 4
Fixed land telephone 0 1 2 3 4
Game console (video game, playstation, Game Box) 0 1 2 3 4
TVby signature (cable, satellite) 0 1 2 3 4
Parabolic 0 1 2 3 4

Section II

Access to the Communication and Information Technologies at home

1) Do you or a member of your family have access to a computer at home?

1 Yes
2 No
3 Do not know

2) Which is type of computer do you have at home?

TYPE OF COMPUTER AT HOME

A Desktop computer 1
B Portable Computer 2
C Pocket PC/Palmtop 3
D Do not know 9

3) What is the operating system installed in your computer?

MS
1 2 Linux 3 Macintosh 4 Others 9 N/A
Windows

210
 Appendix A – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

4) Do you have internet access at home (excluding mobile phone)?

1 Yes
2 No
3 Do not know

5) What type of Internet connection do you have at home?

1 Dialed connection
2 Borad band Connection
3 Do not know

6) Which Internet connection speed do you have at home?

1 ≤ 56 Kbps
2 De 56 to 100 Kbps
3 >56 to 600 Kbps
4 >600 to 1200 Kbps
5 >1200 Kbps
99 N/A

7) Do you have more than one computer using the same connection at home?

1 Yes
2 No
3 Do not know

211
 Appendix A – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

Section III
Please, read carefully all following itens of the Likert scale.

 Kindly, use the symbol x to supply the adequate level of (dis) agreement with each sentence,
according to the following scale:

I Totally I Partially Indifferent I Partially agree I Totally agree

disagree disagree (I) (PA) (TA)
(TD) (PD)

 You are advised to choose only one answer for each item.
 In this scale there’s no correct or wrong answer; it is only intended to know your opinion.
 Please, you are invited to answer to all questions. The answers are totaling confidential.

List of Items

TD PD I PA TA

1. I have confidence in my technological capacities to the use of the ICTs in

1 2 3 4 5
a continuous training program.
2. I feel myself satisfied when I use the ICTs in the construction of my own
1 2 3 4 5
knowledge.
3. I do not need the support of the ICTs in the Professional Activity. 1 2 3 4 5
4. The effort necessary to use the ICTs in a continuous training program is a
1 2 3 4 5
time loose.
5. With the use of the ICTs, the Educative Community can face new
1 2 3 4 5
challenges towards improving the quality of education.
6. I possess knowledge enough to transmit to the pupils, with security,
1 2 3 4 5
practical use of the ICTs in an educative environment.
7. I am against the introduction of the ICTs in a continuous training program 1 2 3 4 5
8. I feel myself nervous and stressed when I think about trying to use a
1 2 3 4 5
Computer.
9. The ICTs contribute to form good professionals increasing their
1 2 3 4 5
technological abilities and pedagogical abilities.
10. The use of the ICTs in a continuous training program makes me
1 2 3 4 5
confusion and demotivates me.

212
 Appendix A – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

11. I think that using the ICTs in the teach-learning process my image as a
1 2 3 4 5
teacher will be diminished.
12. The introduction of the ICTs in the continuous training program is a
technological reality that came to revolutionize the traditional methods of 1 2 3 4 5
training.
13. The use of the ICTs in the continuous training program does not respect
1 2 3 4 5
the proper rhythm of each teacher in his/her self-study.
14. By learning more about ICTs does not help me to be a successful
1 2 3 4 5
professional.
15. I would advise all my colleagues to enroll in a continuous training
1 2 3 4 5
program that make use of the ICTs
16. The teacher who does use the ICTs in his/her Professional Activity
1 2 3 4 5
becomemore creative and innovative.
17. The use of ICTs in teaching activities do not allow a better professional
1 2 3 4 5
performance.
18. I think I would learn more about ICTs if I attended a continuous training
1 2 3 4 5
Course.
19. The introduction of ICTs in teachers continuous training increased
1 2 3 4 5
teachers’ performance and their life quality standard.
20. Continuous training through ICTs will help me in self-directed learning
1 2 3 4 5
as a trainee and in near future as a teacher.
21. The challenge of getting to know more about ICTs excites me. 1 2 3 4 5
22. If I had opportunity to use ICTs I would improve the organization of my
1 2 3 4 5
continuous training activities and task.
23. The use ICTs hinders the interpersonal and institutional Communication
1 2 3 4 5
in the education community.
24. I think that the introduction of ICTs do not bring a substantial
1 2 3 4 5
improvement in teachers´ continuous training.
25. I know how to follow and give support to the students who use the ICTs
1 2 3 4 5
in their self-study.
26. I consider that the use of the ICTs in the teachers continuous training
1 2 3 4 5
program does not eliminates the geographic dispersion of the learners.
27. Using ICTs in continuous training reduces the permanent transport cost
1 2 3 4 5
that teachers had to go through.
28. In my carrier, I am planning to frequently attend continuous training 1 2 3 4 5

213
 Appendix A – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

courses based on ICTs.

29. ICTs facilitate the acquisition of knowledge through a more adequate
1 2 3 4 5
teaching-learning methodology in a continuous training context.
30. I feel insecure when I think of attending a continuous training course
1 2 3 4 5
base on ICTs.
31. I am eager to improve my technological background in order to use it as
1 2 3 4 5
an add value when dealing with ICTs in my carrier.
32. I disagree with teachers´ training course based on ICTs. 1 2 3 4 5
33. I do not like using ICTs in Continuous training because, sometimes,
1 2 3 4 5
there is no physical contact between the trainer and the trainee.
34. The use of ICTs do not facilitate cooperative learning between trainer
1 2 3 4 5
and trainees.

35. I would attend a continuous training course based on ICTs even if I had
1 2 3 4 5
another alternative.

36. I wish there should be capacity building on how to use ICTs integrated
1 2 3 4 5
on teachers´ continuous training.
37. I think I am doing well using ICTs. 1 2 3 4 5
38. When using ICTs there are few opportunities to share interactive
1 2 3 4 5
recourses and experiences available in the whole education community.
39. Continuous training in terms of pedagogical use of ICTS do not allow
me to acquire basic competences that can contribute to my education 1 2 3 4 5
success.

214
 Appendix A – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

Experience with ICT and participation in projects

1. How did you start using ICT? (Kindly use the symbol x to supply the adequate answer)

Not yet
Self-training (with friends, fellows, others)
From a specific training
During my initial training at University (bachelor or Graduated)
During a special training (specialization, master course) or continuous training
Other way – which one? ________________________________________

2. How long have you been using a computer?

Less than 6 months

From 6 months to 1 year
From 1 to 2 years
From 2 to 4 years
From 4 to 6 years
More than 6 years

3. How long have you been using Internet and Web?

Less than 6 months

From 6 months to 1 year
From 1 to 2 years
From 2 to 4 years
From 4 to 6 years
More than 6 years

4. How do you rate your competence in using MS-Office applications (word

processor, excel, data base, power point)?

None
Very little
Little
Good
Very good

5. How do you rate your competence in using MS-Office aplications to produce

multimedia documents to be published in the Web?

None
Very little
Little
Good
Very good

215
 Appendix A – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

6. How do you rate your competence in programm languages?

None
Very little
Little
Good Which ones? ________________________________________________
Very good Which ones? ________________________________________________

7. What is your experience in using Web platforms (Moodle, Jumla,

Plone, blackboard, etc)?

None
Very little
Little
Good which ones? _________________________________________________
Very good which ones? _________________________________________________

8. Kindly point out competences in other ICT areas not touched by this
questionnaire that you have.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

9. Which activities and / or projects using ICT that you did take part?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your support!

216
 Appendix B – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear teacher,

This questionnaire is intended to obtain data on the opinions and attitudes of teachers’ natural sciences
and mathematics, in 2nd cycle of general secondary schools, as to the use of new information and
communication technologies. The same arises in the context of training for obtaining the degree of
doctor of Education science to be conferred by Commonwealth Open University (Spain). Please answer
all questions, to allow data treatment with rigor and get reliable results. By thinking that your opinion is
very important, your collaboration will be highly valued, ensuring the confidentiality of the data
provided. Therefore we call to the goodwill and spirit of collaboration.

Thank you for your collaboration!

Instructions of fulfilling
The present questionnaire is composed by open and closed questions. In the closed questions, kindly use the
symbol x to supply the adequate answer. You can place more than one symbol x where it’s applicable.

Section I

Personal and Professional data

Kindly use the symbol x to supply the adequate answer. Place more than one symbol x where it’s applicable.

1. Sex:
1. Female
2. Male

2. Age:
1. 20 – 30 years
2. 31 – 40 years
3. 41 – 50 years
4. More than 50 years

217
 Appendix B – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

3. Qualifications:

1. Grade 12
2. Bachelor
3. Graduated
4. Measter
5. PhD

4. Professional category:

1. Teacher N1
2. Teacher N2
3. Teacher N3

5. What are the other teaching levels are you working in now?

1. 1st Cycle of GSE

2. Undergraduate
3. Graduate

6. Length of Service

1. Less than 5 years

2. Between 5 and 10 years
3. Between 11 and 20 years
4. More than 20 years

7. School (s) where you are currently working

1.
2.
3.
4.

218
 Appendix B – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

PART II – ABOUT ICT USE

Kindly use the symbol x to supply the adequate sentente that much better indicates your
experience.

1 2 3 4 5
Never Very little Undecided Almost always Always
1. I use ICT to produce handouts or tests for my students 1 2 3 4 5
2. I use ICT to perform my audiovisual presentations in the classroom
1 2 3 4 5
(Power Point)
3. I use ICT to produce handouts for my students 1 2 3 4 5
4. I use ICT to research bibliographies on the internet as a way of
1 2 3 4 5
preparing my lesson
5. I use ICT to research resource for my lesson. 1 2 3 4 5
6. I use ICT with my students in my classroom activities. 1 2 3 4 5
7. I Use ICT to research scientific contents concerning my professional
1 2 3 4 5
area, on the internet.
8. I use ICT to research information of my everyday activities. 1 2 3 4 5
9. I use ICT for shopping and other everyday services. 1 2 3 4 5
10. I use ICT to take pictures and archive them. 1 2 3 4 5
11. I use ICT to Create Websites. 1 2 3 4 5
12. I use ICT in calculation applications 1 2 3 4 5
13. I use ICT in designing database. 1 2 3 4 5
14. I use ICT in data management application software (SPSS, Excel or
1 2 3 4 5
others)
15. I use ICT for typing and compose images. 1 2 3 4 5
16. I use ICT for typing texts 1 2 3 4 5
17. I use ICT to interact with my colleagues (teachers from my school) via
1 2 3 4 5
email
18. I use ICT to interact with other students for pedagogical orientation via
1 2 3 4 5
email
19. I use ICT to interact with teachers from other schools/institutions
1 2 3 4 5
via email.
20. I use ICT to interact with other students in forums. 1 2 3 4 5
21. I use ICT to interact with my colleagues in forms. 1 2 3 4 5

219
 Appendix B – Questionnaire to mathematics and natural sciences teachers of GSE

22. I use ICT to interact with teachers from other schools/institutions in

1 2 3 4 5
forums.
23. I use ICT in synchronized interaction with my students ( in real time via
1 2 3 4 5
instant massaging)
24. I use ICT in synchronized interaction with my colleagues and friends
1 2 3 4 5
(in real time via instant massaging).
25. I use ICT in synchronized interaction with teachers/colleagues from
1 2 3 4 5
other institutions ( in real time via instant massaging).

Thank you for your support!

220
 Appendix C – structured interview questions

STRUCTURED INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

1. How long has the project of e-learning been implemented?

2. What are the intended objectives with the implementation of e-learning?
3. Talk about organizational and structural changes made to accommodate the needs of an
open e-learning, flexible and distributed in terms of:
a. Processes
b. Human resources
4. How was the initial adhesion of those involved (students, teachers, support staff,
community members) characterized? Why?
5. What is the composition of the team responsible for the design of e-learning? What areas
of specialty are its members?
6. What forms of interaction exist between the students and the institution?
7. In your opinion, what forms of pedagogical evaluation are present on the course? How
are they made?

221
 Appendix D –– Open interview questions

SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

1. Well, I'd like to hear your point of view on the possibility of integrating e-learning and
video conferencing in undergraduate and graduate levels.
2. When one speaks of infrastructure for example, what implications you think it will have,
or would have to the infrastructures?
3. In terms of Academic records, do you think it would bring major changes or it could
operate the same way as today’s academic record is functioning?
4. So in terms of human resources, do you think that it would involve some changes?
5. In terms of evaluation as you mentioned assessment systems, do you think would be
necessary to introduce changes in the current System in use in the face-to-face learning?
6. So as a form of conclusion, if the EMU (Eduardo Mondlane University) had already
decided in the academic year 2010 to embark on this solution which would involve the
entry of thousands of new students in higher education, what kind of hard work that the
Academic Record would make in order to host and manage these students before the
beginning of this project. Is this project feasible?
7. What would you like to say that was not addressed in this interview?

222
 Appendix E – Assessment Questionnaire in a Distance Learning module

QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear student,

This questionnaire is intended to obtain data on your views in relation to the postgraduate course of
EMU with the introduction of a platform for distance education at this level of education. The same
arises in the context of training for obtaining the degree of doctor of Education science to be
conferred by Commonwealth Open University (Spain). Please answer all questions, to allow data
treatment with rigor and get reliable results. By thinking that your opinion is very important, your
collaboration will be highly valued, ensuring the confidentiality of the data provided. Therefore we
call to the goodwill and spirit of collaboration.

Thank you for your collaboration!

Instructions of fulfilling
The present questionnaire is composed by open and closed questions. In the closed questions,
kindly use the symbol x to supply the adequate answer. You can place more than one symbol x
where it’s applicable.

Section I

Personal and Professional data

1. Sex:
1. Female
2. Male

2. Age:
1. 20 – 30 years
2. 31 – 40 years
3. 41 – 50 years
4. More than de 50 years

223
 Appendix E – Assessment Questionnaire in a Distance Learning module

3. Qualifications:
1. Graduated
2. Diploma
3. Master

4. Professional category
1. Primary School teacher
2. Secondary School teacher
3. Assistent
4. Lecturer
5. Other, specify

5. Level of education
1. Basic
2. Secondary
3. Undergraduate
4. Graduate

6. Years of service
1. Less than 5 years
2. Between 5 and 10 years
3. Between 11 and 20 years
4. More than20 years

Section II
Evaluation of the use of video conferencing as a tool for teaching

1. Did you manage to be concentrated during the virtual class?

a. Yes
b. No
c. If not, Why?
……………………………..……………………………………………………...
………………………………………………………………………………………

224
 Appendix E – Assessment Questionnaire in a Distance Learning module

2. What is the max time you managed to be concentrated during the virtual class?

a. 10 min
b. 15 min
c. 30 min
d. Other, specify

3. How do you rate the possibility of ineraction with the lecturer during the virtual class?

a. Good
b. Indifferent
c. Bad

d. Different opinion, specify

4. Did the videoconference, used for learning purposes, help you?

a. Yes
b. No
c. For any answer, please justify ………………………………...............................
....................................................................................................................................

5. Did these sessions meet the objectives?

a. Yes
b. No
c. If not, Why? ..............................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................

6. Did the lecturer motivate the students for discussions?

a. Yes, during the presentation

b. Yes, after the presentation
c. Yes, but at forum
d. No

225
 Appendix E – Assessment Questionnaire in a Distance Learning module

7. Do you like the use of video-conference in a distance qualification of teachers?

a. Yes. Why? .........................................................................................................

b. No. Why? ..........................................................................................................

8. Would you like to participate in other learning experience using the vídeo-conferência?

a. Yes. Why?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
b. No. Why?
………………………………………………………………………………………………

9. Kindly point out problems and suggestions for this type of learning sessions.
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................

Thank you for your support!

226
 CURRICULUM VITAE
Full name GUAMBE, Alsone Jorge
Physical address Bairro Belo Horizonte, Quarteirão 8, Rua Um, casa no 281
Mobile +258 843990 501
E-mail alsone.guambe@gmail.com
Nationality Mozambican
Place of birth Xai – Xai City, Gaza province
Date of birth 26 – 03 – 1956

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

From March, 2008 To date

Name and address of Employer
Type of Employer or sector
Current Position
Core activities and responsibilities
ISRI – Instituto Superior de Relações Internacionais
Maputo, Mozambique
Public Institute of higher Education
Lecturer
Lecturing Research Methodology

From February, 2008 To date

Name and address of Employer
Type of Employer or sector
Current Position
Core activities and responsibilities
ISMMA – Instituto Superior Maria Mãe de África
Maputo, Mozambique
Private Institute of higher Education
Lecturer, Head of Research and Technology Center
Lecturing:
 Mozambican Education System
 Planning Social projects
 Research Methodology

From 1995 To date

Name and address of Employer
Type of Employer or sector
Current Position
Core activities and responsibilities
Mozambican Armed Forces
Maputo, Moçambique
Defense & Security
Head of ICT Department
Lead, coordinate and implement training programmes

227
 Appendix F – Curriculum Vitae

From 1975 to 1979

Name and address of Employer
Type of Employer or sector
Position
Core activities and responsibilities
Ministry of Education & Culture
Technical & Vocational School
Teacher
Teaching Math & Physics

From 1989 to 1991

Name and address of Employer
Type of Employer or sector
Position
Core activities and responsibilities
Ministry of Education & Culture
Technical & Vocational School
Teacher
Teaching Electronics & Physics

Academic and Professional Training

From September, 1982 to June, 1987

University Higher Institute for military aeronautical engineering
Kiev, Ucraine

Main professional skills acquaired  Diagnosis, repair & maintenance of aeronautical communication
systems
 Diagnosis, repair & maintenance of air navigation systems
Degree acquaired BSc & MSc Electronic engineering
Score Excelent, awarded gold medal

From February, 2007 to December, 2008

University Eduardo Mondlane University
Faculty Faculty of Education – Department of Adult Education
Degree acquaired
MASTERS DEGREE IN ADULT EDUCATION

Core Subjects Instructional design 13

Research methodology 14
Adult Learning process 14
Sociological & Anthropological aspects of Education in Mozambique 13
Descriptive Statistics 16

Curriculum development Theory 15

Design Methodology 15

Administration and Management in Education 13

Multimedia & ICT 16

Functional Adult Literacy 16

Adult Education Policies 17

Vocational/professional adult education 16

228
 Appendix F – Curriculum Vitae

Adult Education and Individual Development 13

Development and evaluation of teaching materials 16

Curriculum Development and evaluation of adult education 16

Community development and management of diversity 16

Dissertation’s Final mark 16 (sixteen) marks

229
 Alsone Jorge Guambe

Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in general Secondary Education in

Mozambique

Commonwealth Open University

Spain

2009
 Alsone Jorge Guambe

Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in general Secondary Education in

Mozambique

Research proposal to be submitted to the Faculty of Education of The

Commonwealth Open University (Spain) to fulfill the partial
requirements for the PhD degree in Education.

Supervisor: Dr. Sheryl Snyman, PhD (Ed Man)

Commonwealth Open University

Spain

2009
Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in General Secondary Education
in Mozambique

Introduction

The dynamics of the modern world demands to an update and refinement. The questioning, the
autonomous thought and the capacity in the decision making are essential so that each
professional overcomes the limits of a simple execution, adapting him or herself and
assimilating changes as well as facing new challenges that take place each and everyday. As
stated by Lévy (1996:54) “The people not only are led to change their profession several times
in their life, as well as, within the same “profession”, the knowledge that has an innovative short
cycle”. In addition and according to Lévy (1999:173), “the proper notion of profession becomes
even problematic”.

The rapid evolution of the society creates new needs in the field of education and among them
there is a continuous training. Consequently, educators and researchers seek for alternatives to
traditional systems that will fulfill the needs. Within the new and old alternatives, the distance
education is a possibility that is becoming consolidated in the country and is at the same time
gaining political visibility.

Regarding teacher training, the distance education may allow that a certain number of schools
spread all over the country, are able to cope/harmonize with the latest orientations in terms of
methodology, scientific and technical knowledge and enable exchange of experience, as most of
the programs encourage study groups within which there is a strong disposition of mutual
support among the participants (Barreto, 1995).

1.1 Description of the problem

It is with no doubt that for most people, Mathematics is a subject of major importance. A
considerable number of people believe that this subject is useful for daily life. However, it is
common to hear among students, professionals from different fields that their relationship with
mathematics is not or has never been established with harmony or leisure.

Research proposal Page 1

The school mathematics, very often, is far from life mathematics. This means that what we learn
at school is not used in our relationships, as member of a society where the domain of
technology linked to mathematics is needed. On the other hand, professionals that operate in
these fields need the domain of the contents to be able to carry out their tasks.

Why is mathematics difficult to most students? What are the major difficulties faced by the
students? Several authors such as Gómez-Granell (1997), Damm (1999), Micotti (1999),
Fernandez (1997), assign such difficulties to the type of reasoning that it requires, to the
symbolic and formal language and the transition from arithmetic and algebra. Analyzing the
nature of the students difficulties in the learning of mathematics, the role of the teacher becomes
crucial. To be able to analyze the teacher´s role in this study, we will need to use some authors
like Brousseau (1996), Brito (1996b), Perrin-Glorin (1996), D`Ambrosio (1997), Tardif (2000)
and Baldino (1999) in considering the general worry with the mathematics education and the
investments given to research, say that the teaching of mathematics is a human activity
characterized by failure. In so being, the researches rely on change: change at the school,
change in the classroom, change on the students, change on the teacher … and the need for
change in the mathematics teacher training so that he/she can play his/her role as an agent of the
reality transformer.

In the light of this scenario, the central problem, object of this research, is: will the distance
education, in the virtual learning environments (VLE), be a suitable alternative for the training
of mathematics and natural sciences teacher so that he or she is able to play his or her role as an
agent of reality transformer?

1.2 Objectives and research questions

On the basis of the question raised, this study has as its general objective:

 Invest in the improvement of the teaching in the classroom through second cycle of
General education mathematics and natural sciences teacher continuous training, based
on virtual learning environments.

Completing the general objective of this research, there are also specific objectives that will
reinforce the development of this study, namely:

Research proposal Page 2

  diagnose the level of use of information technology and communication among teachers
of natural sciences and mathematics of the second cycle of general education;

 reflect on the organization of the post graduation courses for mathematics and natural
sciences teachers to be run on the distance education basis and based on virtual learning
environments (e-learning) and (video conference);

 adapt an on-going post-graduation course and materials for mathematics and natural
science teachers of the second cycle of general education run via distance education and
based on virtual learning environments (e-learning) and (video conference);

 Analyze whether the post graduation goals were fulfilled with regard to the
reinforcement of teacher competences in the classroom reducing the rotativity in the
school system.

Taking into account the specific objectives above, there are research questions that seek for
answers, namely:

1) How to diagnose the level of use of information technology and communication among
teachers of mathematics and natural sciences of the second cycle of general education?

2) What administrative-pedagogical processes guide the planning and organization of post-

graduation courses run via distance education in virtual learning environments?

3) What indicators may guide the implementation of a post graduation course run via
distance education and based on virtual learning environments, (e-learning) and (video
conference)?

4) What teacher competences in the classroom may be identified as a guaranty that the
objectives of post graduation were fulfilled?

1.3 Relevance of the study

Before going any further, it is important to remind that the social need for education has been
raising even with the difficulties and constraints that people come across; there is a
consolidation of the universality of education. Secondly, it is good to emphasize that education

Research proposal Page 3

“lasts for life and it is carried out either formally or systematically within the established
curriculum, by the exchange of experience in a day to day participatory life” (Huberman,
1999:21). Education is not limited to a physical space, traditionally known as school nor to a
certain time. Education must be present throughout the life of each person. This leads to an idea
of a continuous and continued education be it formal or informal.

Currently every profession is challenged by changes. Regarding teacher himself, the researcher
remembers that for his/her professionalization, a series of needs are required one of which is the
continuous training (Gimeno Sacritán, 1990). Although the teacher acting expectation is
included in the table of change, it is interesting to observe that “no profession gets older than the
teacher´s because it deals directly with the logical knowledge. Besides getting the diploma
itself, there is a need for keeping updated throughout life” (Demo, 1998:191).

From the personal point of view, there is a need for the teacher to understand the relevance for
keeping him/herself professionally updated. They must also “conceive their profession as a way
of being and living in the profession” (Huberman, 1999:47). Institutionally, this issue involves a
series of requisites in terms of political decision and economical resources. Factors such as
hesitation to change, lack of programs that respond to the needs, lack of incentives and budget
restrictions make it difficult to run continuous teacher training programs.

The continuous teacher training as an investment towards the improvement of teaching in the
classroom is stated by Schön (1992) and Nóvoa (1992). The continuous training process means
an opportunity for the teachers to understand that they have knowledge that can contribute for
the understanding and improvement of the learning-teaching process.

II. Theoretical Referential

2.1 Theories Analysis of learning in the distance education

In the late decades there have been several theories proposals in an attempt of covering all
activities of distance education. Among them we cam mention the contribution of Otto Peters,
Michael Moore, Borje Holmberg, Demond Keegan, D. R. Garrison, John Verduin and Thomas
Clark. Meanwhile, these theories do not overlap in many aspects namely: the way in which they
discuss the role of the three elements of the learning and teaching process. Keegan worked up a

Research proposal Page 4

study (Keegan, 1991) where he sums up some elements that he considers central for conceiving
distance education.

 physical separation between teacher and the student, factor that distinguishes the face to
face teaching;

 educational organization influence (planning, plan, project, guided organization), factor

that distinguishes individual education;

 use of technical communication means, usually printed, to unite the teacher and the
students and give educational contents;

 possibility of the existence of communication means bidirectional that enable dialogue

and interactivity;

 possibility of occasional meetings with didactic goals and socialization;

 Individualized way of education.

2.2 About the models of continuous teacher training

This section will have register of the studies about teacher training and professionalization,
theoretical issues of the continuous teacher training with regard to its characteristics, ways of
developing their daily school work and life as well as the discussions about the implications and
contributions that certain practices bring to the current educational context. There will be two
major theoretical models for training and their multifaceted of their existence, regardless how
they are named by some authors (as structural or classics and the constructivist model or
interactive-reflective.

2.4 Concept and characterization of e-learning

In the same way that distance education presents several definitions, the e-learning is also
defined is also defined by many authors. There will be a discussion with Pimentel and Santos
(2003), a definition from the American Society for Training & Development (2002) and
together with Rosemberg (2001), Carvalho (2005), Caixinha (2005), there will be an effort in
looking for a suitable concept for the effect of this work.

Research proposal Page 5

Examining Santos (2000), Testa (2001), Rosemberg (2001), Bastos (2003), Lima and Capitão
(2003), Lemos (2003) and Almala (2004), there will be a discussion on the advantages and
disadvantages of e-learning as well as the catalysers and hindrance of e-learning.

III. Methodology

The major objective of this chapter is to discuss the methodology for the operalization of the
field research of and to reach the established goal: Invest in the improvement of the teaching in
the classroom through second cycle of General education mathematics and natural sciences
teacher continuous training, based on virtual learning environments.

3.1 Characterization of the research

According to the objectives of this study, it is a case study, of an exploratory character, as it will
use on going social phenomena, looking for a stronger familiarity with the problem, following a
qualitative approach that is complemented with a quantitative approach in the statistical analysis
of the quantified aspects of human life.

So, the core type of the research to be used, with regard to technical procedures, will be
research-action as for this situation, the observer will accumulate the roles of researcher and
member of the organization. In this way, the researcher will be completely involved with the
research object to be able to conceive, interfere/alter the reality and evaluate the outcomes. The
principles of this type of research is the participatory character, the democratic impulse and the
contribution to the social change, that characterizes it as an innovative research (Barbier, 1985;
Thiollet, 2003).

3.2 Population and sample

The population of the study is made up of all second cycle of general education teachers
throughout the country. The research will involve teachers of natural sciences and mathematics
from all over the country whose names will be kept secrete for ethical reasons. The sample will
be selected for convenience to better explore the facilities that the researcher has to get the
group on which the study will rely (Gil.1999). It is a non-probabilistic sample as it is a “sample
made up of in accordance with an explicit selection of the researcher. It is the case of a typical
sample from which, from the needs of the study, the researcher selects cases thought to be
exemplar or typical of the target population or a part of it” (Laville & Dionne, 1999:170)

Research proposal Page 6

3.3 Data gathering: methods and instruments

The objectives and the design of the research are basic elements for the definition of the
techniques for information gathering. The nature of this study require instruments that are able
to keep the definite characteristics of the respondents. So, the researcher will use a
questionnaire, a deeper interview and a focus group. These techniques will also be associated to
the daily research and a critical exam of the materials produced by several intervenient in the
process of the establishment of the platform of distance education courses and in the virtual
learning environments in the higher education institutions. This strategy of triangulation to be
used will enable the progressive data valorization giving at the same time the consistency of the
study.

The researcher’s decision in holding deep interviews is due to the advantages that this resource
provides to the qualitative studies. In this case, it is expected that from this technique (i) the
significant responses; (ii) flexibility and profound information; (iii) reflection about on certain
information and (iv) listen to histories and discovery of feelings (CF. Hayman, 1991, Walker,
1989, Wittrock, 1989, Woods, 1995).

3. 4 validity and viability of the instruments

Validity is a complex concept. It is said that the selected instruments are or are not able to
describe what is supposed to be described, that is, if the objectives of the study will be fulfilled
or not. For that, besides the researcher’s control (internal validity) there is a need of involving
study colleagues and experimental interviewee, professors from an institution of higher
education in the process of validity of the instruments to use (external validity). The instruments
will be produced taking into account the objectives of this study. For that, and after the first
draft and proposals for changes, the questionnaire and the interview will be re-structured taking
into account the pragmatic dimension and the need for reaching a consensus around the
objective of the study and evaluate (the facial validity) (Dane, 1990). From the comments and
observations of the experimental interviewees, a version of instruments will be developed that
will suit the objectives of this study. This process of instruments validity and also agreeing with
Ketele and Roegiers (1999), will ensure the researcher to what he wants to gather as
information.

Research proposal Page 7

The viability is an expression of consistency of the results throughout the time. There are many
ways for verifying the viability using scales and tests. In this study, the researcher will use pre-
tests and inference with the objective of ensuring the nature and the complexity of the issues
and their adequacy to the objectives previously determined.

3.5 Ethical issues

To carry out the inquiries through questionnaires and interviews, the researcher will always
verify the availability of the participants resulting from a previous contact where he/she will: (i)
inform the respondents about the results that are expected from the inquiries and interviews; (ii)
explain the reason why the respondent was selected, knowing the importance of his/her
contribution for the study to be developed and (iii) inform the respondents about the duration
for the realization of the inquiries and interviews and negotiate with them the dates, the time
and place.

During the whole process, the respondents will be kept in secret and the confidentiality of the
outcomes that this study will develop by not revealing the identity of the participants. Besides,
Bogdan and Biklen (1994:75) defend that two issues domain the current panorama of ethics
regarding the research with humans; (i) informed consent (ii) and the protection of the citizen
against any harms.

Research proposal Page 8

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

Barreto, E. S. S. (1995). Capacitação à distância de professores do ensino fundamental no Brasil.

Educação e Sociedade, CEDES, Campinas, ano 18, n. 59, ago.

Dane, F. C. (1990). Research methods. Belmont: Wadswordth, Inc.

Demo, P. (1998). Questões para a teleducação. Petrópolis: Vozes.

Gimeno sacristán, J. (1990). Consciencia y acción sobre la práctica como liberación profesional de los
profesores. Barcelona: Universidad de Barcelona, 1990.

Huberman, S. (1999). Cómo se forman los capacitadores – arte y saberes de su profesión. Buenos
Aires: Paidós.

Hayman, J. M. (1991). Investigación y educación. Barcelona: Paidós.

Ketele, Jean- Marie De & Roegiers (1999). Metodologia da Recolha de dados. Fundamentos dos Métodos de
Observações, de Questionários, de Entrevistas e de Estudo de Documentos. Colecção: Epistemologia e
Sociedade. Lisboa: Instituto Piaget.

Laville, C. E. & Dionne, J. (1999). A construção do saber: Manual de metodologia da pesquisa em

ciências humanas. Trad. Heloísa Monteiro e Francisco Settineri. Porto Alegre: Editora UFMG.

Lévy, P. (1996). O que é o virtual. São Paulo: Editora 34.

Lévy, P.(1999). Cibercultura. Rio de Janeiro: Editora 34.

Nóvoa, A. (1992). Os professores e sua formação. In: _____. (Org.). Formação de professores e
profissão docente. Lisboa: D. Quixote.

Schön, D. A. (1992). Formar professores como profissionais reflexivos. In: NÓVOA, A. (Org.).
Formação de professores e profissão docente. Lisboa: D. Quixote.

Testa, M. (2001). Factores críticos de sucesso na implementação e gestão de programas de educação à

distância através da Internet. Dissertação de Mestrado em Sistemas de Informação e Apoio à Decisão.
PPGA/EA/UFRGS.

Thiollent, M. (2003). Metodologia da pesquisa-ação. (12ª ed.). São Paulo: Cortez.

Walker, R. (1989). Método de investigación pra el profesorado. Madrid: Morata.

Wittrock, M. C. (1989). La investigación de la enseñanza II. Barcelona: Paidós.

Woods, P. (1995). La escuela por dentro. Barcelona: Paidós.

Research proposal Page 9

 Table 1: Chronogram of activities
`
FIRST YEAR SECOND YEAR THIRD
YEAR
ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER
NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER
FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY
OCTOBER

OCTOBER
AUGUST

AUGUST
MARCH

MARCH

MARCH
APRIL

APRIL

APRIL
MAY

MAY

MAY
1. Conception of the research project

2. Development of the instruments of the data collection

3. Pre-testing of the instruments of the data collection

4. Production of the final version of the instruments of the data

collection
5. Data collection
a. Diary of the research
b. Reports
c. interviews

d. Observations
e. Questionnaires
6. Analysis and interpretation of the outcomes
a. Transcription of the recordings of the interview
b. Development of the evidences chain
c. Analysis of the teacher’s responses
d. Validation of the findings
7. Development of the Doctorate thesis
8. Presentation of the preliminary version of the Doctorate thesis

9. Correction and production of the final version of the Doctorate

thesis
10. Handing in of the final version of the Doctorate thesis

Research proposal Page 10

 Annex I – Research steps

IDENTIFICATIONOF THE PROBLEM

DEVELOPMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES

PRODUCTION OF THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS

STEP 01
TECHNIQUES FOR DATA
Diagnose the situation of COLLECTION

ITCs use by the teachers -Inquiries through Questionnaire

of maths and natural
- Documental research
sciences in the GSE
-Research diary
STEP 02

Implement a masters
course in VLE for -Reports

mathematics and -Assystematic observation and participants

natural sciences in- -interviews
service teachers -Research diary

STEP 03

Reflection about the

practices and the - Inquiries through questionnaires
practices of the -Course analysis virtual learning
reflection on training
environments
STEP 04
TECHNIQUES FOR DATA ANALYSIS
Evaluate masters • Selection,
courses in VLE for • categorization,
mathematics and • tabulation and
natural sciences in- • qualitative analysis of the
categories
service teachers
FINAL VERSION OF
THE
FINDINGS/RESEARCH

Figure A.1: Methodological procedures of the research.

 Alsone Jorge Guambe

Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in general Secondary Education in

Mozambique

Scientific article based on the research to be submitted to the Faculty

of Education of The Commonwealth Open University (Spain) together
with the thesis to fulfill the partial requirements for the PhD degree in
Education.

Supervisor: Dr. Sheryl Snyman, PhD (Ed Man)

Commonwealth Open University

Spain

2010
Scientific Article-Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in general Secondary Education in Mozambique
Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in general Secondary
Education in Mozambique
Alsone Jorge Guambe
Faculty of Education – Commonwealth Open University
alsone.guambe@gmail.com
Abstract
This article is aimed to contributing to
theoretical and empirical theories that are related to
distance education teaching-learning process. For that
reason, there has been a suggested academic distance
education teaching-learning platform based on e-
learning and video-conference, which emphasizes an
active, meaningful and autonomous learning. This
study used a qualitative methodology, complemented
by a quantitative one. It is exploratory by nature and
documentary in character which implied multiple
methodology procedures predominantly originating
from an action research. In order to get the final
product, the research has undergone through four
steps. In the end of the fourth step it was concluded
that the academic platform suggests a pedagogic
direction, organization and formalization of the
pedagogic management processes for the researched
subjects that will lead to better results and quality
improvement in distance education courses.
Keywords: academic platform, distance education, e-
learning and video-conference.
1. Introduction
The dynamics of the modern world demands
to an update and refinement. The questioning, the
autonomous thought and the capacity in the decision
making are essential so that each professional
overcomes the limits of a simple execution, adapting
him or herself and assimilating changes as well as
facing new challenges that take place each and every
day. “The people not only are led to change their
profession several times in their life, as well as,
within the same “profession”, the knowledge that has
an innovative short cycle” [1]. In addition, “the
proper notion of profession becomes even
problematic” [1].
The rapid evolution of the society creates
new needs in the field of education and among them
there is a continuous training. Consequently,
educators and researchers seek for alternatives to
traditional systems intending to fulfill the needs.
Within the new and old alternatives, the distance
education is a possibility that is becoming
consolidated in the country and is at the same time
gaining political visibility.
Regarding teacher training, the distance
education may allow that a certain number of schools
spread all over the country, are able to
cope/harmonize with the latest orientations in terms
of methodology, scientific and technical knowledge
and enable exchange of experience, as most of the
programs encourage study groups within which there
is a strong disposition of mutual support among the
participants [2].
One of the alternatives that are being
consolidated to make possible the equal distribution of
the educational opportunities is, of course, the so
called distance learning. This is a modality that has
been showing a great flexibility to assist the growth of
the number of registrations/enrollment as well as in the
generation of strategies that make possible to turn
reality the continuous training that the knowledge
society so much demand. UNESCO points out the
importance of the distance learning in the society as a
"force that can contribute to the economic and social
development" [3].
In this context, distance learning is passing
from the physical/manual to the digital way. From the
researcher’s point of view, the distance learning
modality represents a variety of educational models
that possess in common the physical separation of the
lecturer from some or all of his/her students. The
teaching models at the distance are developed around
central components of institutional processes, that is,
the presentation of the content, interaction with the
faculty, resources, practical applications and
evaluation. "Each model applies technology using
Scientific Article-Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in general Secondary Education in Mozambique
varied means to focusing some or all these
components" [4]. In this emergent paradigm, the
distance learning appears as a modality of the
traditional education intending to incorporate this new
mentality in a process where the student can choose
how and where he/she can study without committing
the learning quality.
In the light of this scenario, the central
question, object of this article, is: will the distance
education, in the virtual learning environments (VLE),
be a suitable alternative for the training of
mathematics and natural sciences teacher so that he or
she is able to play his or her role as an agent of reality
transformer?
In the context of the formulated problem, the
investigator defends the thesis that the distance
learning should not be considered as an alternative or
compensatory method of the presential teaching, but as
an opportunity to rethink the education as a whole.
This study is justified through five
interference factors understood as emergent and,
consequently, fundamental for us to be reflected in the
distance learning namely, (i) the distance education
and learning process in front of the problem of the
Mozambican face-to-face education that extends in
the different training levels; (ii) the deficiency in the
teachers' pedagogic training that lecture in the
different teaching levels, including the higher one; (iii)
the training shortage and lack of information in the
area of educational management, in general, and in the
one of pedagogic management, in particular, for
virtual settings of learning in Mozambique; (iv) the
technological progress that presents an infinity of
resources waiting for pedagogic referential and (v) the
political-pedagogic commitment of Higher
Educational Institutions (HEI) in offering quality
courses in graduation levels and of masters degree, to
a larger growing number of candidates.
In that sense, the study doesn't try to delineate
a pedagogical model, because it can be understood that
models plaster different realities. Feyerabend, in his
book "Against the Method", he points out that there is
not only one rule, although plausible and well founded
in the epistemology, that is not, to some extent,
violated [5]. This study seeks, in reality, to find a
separation of any proposal that is positioned as a
perfect model to be followed in any circumstances. It
tries to conceive a dynamic system of teaching-
learning in virtual atmosphere that assists to different
realities of virtual courses, supporting the pedagogical
actions of HEI that develop or intend to develop
distance courses.
It can be concluded, then, that the distance
learning is not an opposite category to the face-to-face
education, as many definitions present. It might have
been in some historical moment in light of the reality
of some historical time, but it is no longer being
observed. The world changed and the so called face-
to-face education is also changing and adapting to the
information and knowledge society. In this way,
without considering that both teaching modalities
share philosophical, epistemological, pedagogical,
didactics, administrative-organizational, among other
bases, they insert them inside of a same educational
logic, and not as the opposite poles or categories
mutually excluding.
2. Theoretical Referential
With the appearance of the technologies
linked to the e-learning "it has been enriching the
whole mediation gap between the person and the
learning processes. These new supports come to bring
new contents, tools of the mediation of the learning
and it comes to allow that the person, in his/her
learning process, can have larger freedom in space and
time" [6].
Reinforcing the idea that the tools of e-
learning that are in the market are trivial, normal and
simple, this academic considers that "when they
enlarge the space of mediation relationship between
the individual and the learning process, they will boost
the education system as whole, because the system is
founded in physical bases that work badly" [6].
The same author advances an idea that it
seems as a paradox: "The new space of e-learning
comes to value significantly the face-to-face
education". In other words, it will allow that the face-
to-face education concentrate on substantive subjects
and to discuss things that the trainees want to discuss,
because “the means that they have didn't allow them to
clarify doubts and it is the contact with the trainer
and the colleagues, that will help them to clarify, get
deeper and debate those doubts".
The quality of the formats used is the first
sign of the quality of the training. Not being obviously
the only one, the quality of the training formats, is
decisive in the success of the learning. In this case, the
curricular contents were distributed to the trainees in
video-conference format, according to the outline of
the illustration 1.
Figure1: Outline used in the sessions online
Scientific Article-Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in general Secondary Education in Mozambique
The video-conference was shown as an
efficient tool that can be used in the distance learning.
This system can be integrated in the teaching process,
with a minimum adaptation to the curriculum of the
course and conceived to assure the communication,
video and audio, among the several communication
points. The video-conference can be efficient for
allowing a visual contact, in real time, so much
between trainees and their trainer, as among trainees in
different locations, to allow meetings among schools
and to promote the image of innovation of the HEI.
The information and communication
technologies in particular the technologies of e-
learning and video-conference, can on one hand offer
the teachers several possibilities of developing the
model of traditional teaching in agreement with the
new referential for the learning. On the other hand,
the interaction and the participation can be improved
through communication tools mediated by computer,
collaborative activities can be efficiently supported
and enriched, authentic environments can be created,
enabling the extension of learning environments
throughout the society, going behind local
understandings [7]. Pedagogical strategies of the
higher education that uses the technologies
conveniently can, therefore, promote active learning
[8] more centered in the student, valuing his/her
personal experiences and participation. Emphasis
should be given to strategies, where the learning
process take place in social and culturally rich
environments [9] that contribute for the construction of
the contexts of the virtual communities of learning
development. It stands out here, namely, the reference
picture for the conception of support environments of
the teaching processes and learning proposed by
Jonassen, the Constructive Learning Environment
(CLE).
3. Methodology
In literature, methodology means "different
ways to do things for different purposes" [10], or ways
to formulate problems, hypothesis, observation
methods and data gathering, measure of variables and
techniques of data analysis. The methodology also
includes “aspects of the philosophy of the science"
[10], presupposing a constant attitude of critical
analysis, above all when such analysis assumes the
form of an epistemological critic of the used concepts,
in the picture of a research. This study is centered in
the anti-positivist paradigm and the critical theory,
although with resource, in some cases, to the positivist
paradigm because there were also quantitative aspects
that are related to structure and behavior that needed to
be considered.
In accordance with the defined objectives, the current
research is exploratory by nature. However, the main
research used related to the technical procedures was
the action research. One of the methods presented by
Malhotra for the exploratory researches and selected
for this study is the qualitative research [11]. The
choice of the qualitative method is justified by its
humanist foundation which is important in the
understanding of the social reality and, above all, for
its affinity with the natural changing of the social
world [12]. The humanists principles of this method
[13], formed a strong argument to design this study.
In order to get the final product, this research has
undergone through four steps namely i) Diagnose the
situation of Information and Communication
Technology use by the teachers of maths and natural
sciences in the general Secondary Education; ii)
Implement a masters course module in virtual
learning environment for mathematics and natural
sciences in-service teachers; iii) Reflection about the
practices and the practices of the reflection on
training and iv) Evaluate masters courses module in
virtual learning environment for mathematics and
natural sciences in-service teachers.
This study used also Focus Group technique
to know the teachers' opinions about e-learning and to
evaluate the module of a course of post-graduation
supplied in a VLE. The Focus Group technique is
considered as scientific research, because it is a
disciplined process of investigation, which is,
systematic, sequential and verifiable [14].
4. Instruments of data gathering
The objectives and the nature of the research
were the basic elements to define the techniques of
data gathering. The nature of this study requested
instruments capable to learn and understand the
decisive characteristics of the respondents. Thus, the
reseacher decided to use the questionnaire, the in-
depth interview, Focus Group and the informal
observation. This triangulation strategy applied,
allowed a progressive valorization of the data, thus,
giving consistence to the study.
The decision of accomplishing in-depth
interviews was due, particularly, to the advantages that
this resource provides to the qualitative studies. In this
sense, this technique was looked for (i) finding
significant answers; (ii) the flexibility and in-depth of
the information; (iii) the reflection on certain
information and (iv) the listening to the histories and
discovering of feelings [15, 16, 17, 18]. In fact, there
was, derived advantages from the fact of the
interviews be a form of interpersonal communication
provoked by the interest of obtaining information
through the dialogue [19]. In fact, the interviews
Scientific Article-Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in general Secondary Education in Mozambique
turned into excellent and profitable opportunities to
improve the knowledge of the reseacher regarding the
picture of the teachers involved in projects of distance
learning.
5. Results of the study
The results of the study show, at the end of
the fourth stage, that the proposed academic platform
suggests a certain pedagogical guiding to the observed
institution, organizing and formalizing its processes of
pedagogical administration and resulting in the quality
improvement in the distance courses. The integrated
academic platform of e-learning and video-conference,
offering an enlarged set of integrated functionalities,
allowing to set up environments namely distributed,
that can support new approaches in higher education.
The interaction and the participation can be
improved through communication tools mediated by a
computer, can efficiently support collaborative
activities and create enriched and authentic
environments and facilitated conditions to extend the
learning environment to the society and to surpass
understandings of local environments. It can also be
said, that the proposed academic platform can be
applied in different degree courses and masters degree,
because it is easily adaptable to the different models of
the distance learning.
The results of this study reveal that the
education that the people develop, to some extent meet
the challenges of the historical moment, for the vision
of the world of a time and for the social characteristics
and advanced scientific technology. Therefore it is
believed that distance learning brings the possibility to
free students and teachers from monotonous, passive
and centralizing role in the teacher as a mean of
transmission of the information. Distance learning has
been developing strategies and it is using resources
that provide the interaction, exploration and the
construction of the learning itself, regulating its
rhythm, generating possibilities to choose according to
the self interests. In summary: to assume the
administration of the learning processes. Those
cognitive ecosystems can come to represent the
materialization of the constructivist’s ideas, creating
an enormous area of potential development for the
students and capacities of processing the information
that she/he believes to be indispensable to be a citizen
of the our days society.
In that sense the articulation of appropriate
technologies is opening space for the formation of a
new education, more flexible, significant, participative
and motivating better than traditional education.
In this context, distance learning is seen as a
form in which the teacher stops playing the transmitter
role and starts to play the role of pedagogical mediator
among the knowledge (presented through several
means) and the students (through several means and
tools), deepening the pedagogic dialogue.
The interaction systems assure this bilateral
communication, because they allow the trainee to
access to the distance teaching institution at anytime,
anywhere, to pick up study materials, to access to the
updated material or intermediate works, to send doubts
for the forums of the course, to read the colleagues
messages and of the trainers or teachers, to get in
dialogue with the virtual class, to make a video
conference in a computer with the trainer or teacher or
with other trainees, or to ask for help to the attendance
of the training.
Thus, this study has proposed distance
learning academic platform based on virtual learning
environments, in the modalities of e-learning and
video-conference, in the attempt of supporting the
processes and procedures of a HEI undertaking this
teaching modality.
The academic platform shown in the
illustration 2 is based on two types of different
equipment, namely the equipment of the HEI and the
one of the study Center.
The equipment of the HEI is specific and it is
the base for this system as a whole. It requires
specialized equipment in ergonomic form to give the
maximum of comfortable and mobility to the teacher.
The system can use the infrastructure of the
Mozambican Research Educational Network
(MoRENet) present in the place, in case this is not
available, the 3G mobile network can be used. The
equipment mentioned below in the HEI should be
highly portable, ergonomic, integrated and guided for
teacher's work during his/her video-conference
sessions.
In general, the centers of study should be
endowed with basic audiovisual means, namely:
 Data-show / Screen for projection;
 Room of Audiovisual (small auditorium
equipped with a sound system);
 Video Camera;
 ADSL Connections;
 Personal Computer or Laptop;
 Video-conference System.
In addition, it is necessary the organization of
a center of resources, equipped with computers linked
to Local Area Network to support the component of e-
learning.
The illustration 2 below presents, in detail,
the functional structure of a potential platform of
distance learning integrating e-learning and video-
conference.
This academic platform could articulate
various media looking for a bi-directional learning
process which should enable a very large interaction
Scientific Article-Distance qualification in the teacher continuous training in general Secondary Education in Mozambique
between learners and teachers. Therefore, the
academic platform should enable the transmission in
real time to n centers of study all over the country and
should enable the interconnection between existing
and future learning communities.
Figure 2: Functional Structure of the academic platform
integrating e-learning and video-conference.
The integrated academic platform of e-
learning and video-conference offers a wider and an
integrated functioning that allows the creation of
distributed environment which can support new
approaches in higher education.
6. Conclusion
Distance learning today is seen as a way in a
strategy of democratic enlargement of the access to the
quality education, the citizen's right and duty of the
State and of the society. As an opening increase
strategy of the access possibilities to the education,
distance learning should expand the commitment of
the pedagogical project with the historical project,
political and cultural of the Mozambican society.
The understanding of quality in the education
can be noticed that, it goes by several variables, that is,
not only enough to guarantee access to the education
and not even to the learning process, it imposes
something more than this, because it requests results of
what is being learned; Results that answer to the
economic modernization and at same time to the social
development. The results of this study point that the
distance learning, needs more pedagogical attention
than the face-to-face education to guarantee quality.
This study comes to reinforce the idea that for
an education with quality state of the art technologies
are not enough, nor based updated contents, the
diversity of resources is not also enough, nor classes
full of colors and objects in animation, when it is not
known how and where to go, because we have to know
how to go and how to get there. In that sense the
pedagogical administration in interrelation with the
technological management and administrative is
decisive for the quality of the processes of distance
learning, once it takes the responsibility for the
planning, preparation, operation and evaluation of the
educational processes.
7. References
[1] Lévy, P. (1996). O que é o virtual. São Paulo: Editora
34. Pages 54, 173.
[2] Barreto, E. S. S. (1995). Capacitação à distância de
professores do ensino fundamental no Brasil. Educação e
Sociedade, CEDES, Campinas, ano 18, n. 59, ago.
[3] UNESCO (2002). Aprendizage abierto y a distancia.
Consideraciones sobre tendencias, políticas y estratégias.
Division de Educación Superior. Disponív. a 27/03/2008 em
www.unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001284/128463s.pdf
[4] Oliveira, S. L. de O. (2002). Tratado de Metodologia
Científica: projetos de pesquisas, TGI; TCC, monografia,
dissertações e teses. (2ª ed.). São Paulo: Pioneira.
[5] Feyerabend, P. (1989). Contra o Método. (3ª ed.). Rio de
Janeiro: Francisco Alves.
[6] Tribolet, J. (2001). E-learning: por uma formação
personalizada. Disponível a 12 de Agosto de 2008 em
http://www.betiadro.pt/artigo/partigo38.html.
[7] Jonassen, D. H., Mayes, T. & McAleese, R. (1993). A
manifesto for a constructivist approach to uses of technology
in higher education. In Duffy, T. M., Lwyck, J., Jonassen, D.
& Welsh, T. M. (Eds.). Designing Environments for
Constructive Learning (p. 231-247). Berlin: Springer-
Verlag.
[8] Laurillard, D. (1993). Rethinking University Teaching: a
Framework for the Effective use of Educational Technology.
London: Routledge.
[9] Figueiredo, A. D. (2000). Web-based Learning - Largely
Beyond the Content. In Restivo, F. & Ribeiro, L. (Eds.).
Web-based Learning Environment. Porto; Feup Editions.
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