THE FORMATION OF EPISTEMOLOGICAL CONCEPTS IN POSTGRADUATION: CONTRIBUTIONS OF CONCEPT MAPS TO THE TEACHING OF RESEARCH METHODS IN EDUCATION

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the contributions of conceptual maps to the formation of epistemological concepts in the context of postgraduate studies in Education, taking as a reference a training experience developed in the discipline Research in Education, offered by the Postgraduate Program in Education at the State University of Goiás (PPGE-UEG). It starts from the understanding that the researcher's training transcends the domain of technical procedures, requiring the critical appropriation of the theoretical, epistemological and methodological foundations that guide the production of scientific knowledge. Based on the Historical-Cultural Theory and the Theory of Developmental Teaching, especially on the contributions of Vygotski and Davídov, the study analyzes the extent to which the elaboration of conceptual maps can favor processes of analysis, abstraction, generalization and synthesis, essential for the formation of scientific concepts and the development of theoretical thinking. Methodologically, it is an experience report linked to the documentary analysis of conceptual maps and synthesis texts produced by seven master's students on three classic epistemological matrices: positivism, phenomenology and historical-dialectic materialism. The analysis showed different levels of conceptual appropriation, from more descriptive and classificatory forms to more relational and systematized structures. The results indicate that concept maps constitute relevant pedagogical instruments for objectifying relationships between concepts, allowing visualization of conceptual elaboration movements that often remain barely noticeable in conventional academic assessments. It is concluded that this pedagogical strategy has significant potential to qualify the epistemological training of education researchers.