UNIVERSITY TEACHING PRACTICE FROM THE SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Based on the university teaching studies, teaching practice and the theoretical and methodological approach of the Social Representations Theory, this research aimed to understand the university teachers' teaching practices from the university students' social representations. For such purpose, interviews and surveys were used with twenty-seven Pedagogy students from the Federal University of Pernambuco. The data point out that, according to the students, the teaching practices are prone to traditionalism and the absence of dialogue, thus influencing the development of the teaching and learning process that is built from the interaction among individuals. We therefore highlight the importance of and the need for more continuing teaching education initiatives to those teachers in order to improve their practice in a more effective way.