Pensamento Computacional implícito no Ensino de Língua Inglesa por Tarefas e Aprendizagem Baseada em Projetos no Ensino Médio

Abstract

English language teaching is often associated with instructional models centered on the transmission of grammatical content, which is not always related to students’ everyday lives. This approach may hinder their active involvement in the learning process. In this regard, Project-Based Learning and Task-Based Language Teaching offer possibilities for promoting students’ participation in knowledge construction and problem-solving. This research addresses the following question: How does the collaborative design and playing of board games, integrated with Project-Based Learning and Task-Based Language Teaching, implicitly mobilize Computational Thinking skills and relate to the organization of thought and engagement of high school students? To answer this question, the general objective was to analyze the implicit mobilization of Computational Thinking skills during the collaborative design and playing of board games in an English language teaching proposal grounded in Project-Based Learning and Task-Based Language Teaching, considering how these skills manifest themselves in the organization of thought and student engagement. The specific objectives were to identify and categorize the Computational Thinking skills implicitly mobilized during the collaborative design and playing of the board games and to analyze this mobilization in relation to student engagement and the communicative use of English. The thesis argues that an English language teaching proposal based on a project designed around pedagogical challenges can contribute to student engagement and the mobilization of cognitive processes related to analytical thinking and Computational Thinking skills, promoting the communicative and contextualized use of the language. To investigate this question, a descriptive and interpretive qualitative case study was conducted with a third-year high school class during English lessons at an educational institution in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil. The pedagogical proposal was structured around collaborative educational challenges involving the design and playing of board games in groups. The games focused on tourism in the tri-border region and addressed the grammatical topic Simple Past. Data collection included two questionnaires, one administered after the board games had been designed and another after students had played games created by their classmates, as well as the teacher-researcher’s field diary and materials produced by the students, including game boards, rulebooks, and cards. The analysis identified the mobilization of skills associated with Computational Thinking — decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms — during the design and playing of the games, while also providing insights into how these skills related to the use of English in contextualized interactions. The results indicate manifestations of engagement, active participation, cooperation, and student agency, as well as the use of English in communicative situations related to the proposal. The evidence suggests that integrating Computational Thinking, linguistic knowledge, and hands-on learning activities can contribute to the organization of thought, decision-making, and the functional use of English.