O papel da biblioteca na construção do pensamento crítico sob a perspectiva docente : um estudo de caso

Abstract

This research, conducted within the ProfEPT – Professional and Technological Education Graduate Program, in Research Line 1 – Educational Practices in Professional and Technological Education (PTE), under Macroproject 3 – Educational Practices in the Integrated Curriculum, aims to investigate the role of the library in the development of critical thinking among students of integrated secondary education, from the teachers’ perspective. The specific objectives are: to investigate teachers’ pedagogical interventions in promoting critical thinking; to understand teachers’ conceptions regarding the use of the library as an educational resource; and to develop an e-book as a teaching support material, with guidelines for conducting school research activities aimed at developing students’ critical thinking. Critical thinking is understood as the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information in a reflective and well-founded manner, supporting informed decision-making. The study was carried out in a professional education school located in a municipality in the Campanha region, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which offers a technical course in agriculture integrated with secondary education. The methodology adopted was qualitative research, conducted through a case study, with a sample composed of a group of teachers from the institution. Two instruments were used for data construction: a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was guided by the principles of Discursive Textual Analysis. As an educational product, an e-book was developed to guide school research activities focused on the development of students’ critical thinking. The results revealed that although teachers acknowledge the value of the library in fostering critical thinking, its use remains limited, generally restricted to basic material consultation. This limitation is also attributed to the insufficient infrastructure of the school’s library, which hinders its full use for critical reflection and information literacy activities. Nonetheless, teachers expressed interest in further exploring its potential. The e-book was positively evaluated as a resource capable of supporting more effective pedagogical practices for promoting critical thinking.