Theory and practice: between dichotomies and relations in the formation of English teachers

Resumo

Many teachers in pre-service programs see knowledge about approaches, methods, and English teaching techniques – formulated and disseminated by specialists –  as distant from reality or impossible to be developed. In order to understand better this problem, this research aims to analyze what is meant by the terms "theory" and "practice" and the possible relationships between them in the context of pre-service English teachers’ development. From that point of view, it may be observed new and/or different views about how teachers are formed and how much this formation has prioritized contact with theories, practices, and their relationships. The theoretical bases are Freire ([1968] 2011), Rajagopalan (1984), Pereira (1988), Kincheloe (1997), Japiassu & Marcondes (2001), Pennycook (2010) and Vieira-Abrahão (2010). Data was collected through semi-structured interviews (Lüdke and André, 1996; RIZZINI, 1999). The results indicate that student teachers understand these conceptions as opposites and that, in many cases, these concepts are not completed or are difficult to complete, rejecting them as a unity.

Keywords: Theory. Practice. Teacher Development.