The ideas of the pupils of the 2nd Cycle of Basic Education about the teaching and learning of Portuguese Grammar.

Abstract

For some time now, Grammar has been classified as a problematic competence in the teaching and learning of Portuguese (Silva, 2016). The literature and studies involving teachers and students from primary and secondary education as participants confirmed this perception (Ferreira, 2012, 2018).   In this way, a large majority of teachers confess: (i) to devalue the work of Grammar in favor of the other components of the language (Silva & Pereira, 2017); (ii) promote activities, in general, of a deductive/expository nature (Pereira, 2010); (iii) present difficulties in the scientific and pedagogical dimensions (Cardoso, Pereira, Leite & Silva, 2018); (iv) having experienced instability in official teaching programs and the lack of uniform linguistic terminology (Viegas & Teixeira, 2019).   In the same sense, students have shown frankly unsatisfactory results in grammatical explanation exercises (Ucha, 2007) and show supervision of other skills in their mother tongue (Sim-Sim & Rodrigues, 2006). In view of this, the literature has conveyed the idea that students do not feel motivated or enjoy learning Grammar (Gorgulho & Teixeira, 2016).   However, the studies are reduced when it is intended to know, in a more precise way, the conceptions that the students present regarding grammatical competence. According to Madeira (2005), conceptions influence the teaching-learning process of teachers and students, which makes it important to know them.