This document discusses the importance of understanding the learning process when trying to improve public engagement with health research. It argues that learning requires engagement and motivation from the learner in order to go beyond just memorization. When research is conducted in a participatory way where community members identify with the topic and help shape the research questions, it can lead to deeper engagement and learning as people incorporate new information into their own knowledge framework. The document advocates for "glocal" research conducted by teachers that bridges global scientific knowledge with local community contexts in a way that is meaningful and personal to encourage public learning and engagement.

1. Maria Elizabeth Gastal Fassa Anaclaudia Gastal Fassa Neice Müller Xavier Faria The importance of understanding the learning process when trying to improve public engagement with health research 5 a CRE Outubro,2008

2. Human being wonders, thinks, and learns It is a natural part of being human to look at the world around us and wonder  to build questions It is a natural part of being human try to make sense of all we see, hear, notice  to search for answers It is a natural part of being human to learn  to harvest data, to compare, to classify, to conclude Life is learning, we only survive if we learn  if we research

3. Learning is essential to survive to make sense of the environment to be able to deal with it for the own sake of the mind functioning Stimuli are the mind’s nutrition. If a human being does not have this nutrition he/she perishes (as the child in hospitalism)

4. Sometimes learning does not occur This natural feature of the human being, the impulse for learning, is sometimes distorted when it is overruled there is no space  for the own sake of the mind functioning  to make questions

5. Sometimes learning does not occur This natural feature of the human being, the impulse for learning, is sometimes distorted when the information is transmitted, is imposed there is no space  to make sense of the environment  to search for answers myself The human being does not learn  does not harvest data, compare, nor classify, does not conclude

6. Learning is a construction learning requires effort / willingness  it is not a neutral act a question that awakes the natural sense of wonder, the natural impulse to make sense a question with which for some reason I identify myself Learning requires motivation / engagement

7. Learning / Engagement Learning requires engagement  without engagement it is only possible to repeat mechanically some algorithms Engagement is a learning process  the engagement arises as part of the knowledge construction It is like two faces of the same coin

8. Teaching / Learning Traditional education each one plays own role inside fixed rules fixed and universal curriculum evaluation through tests stereotyped behaviors teacher teaches what he/she already knows student hear and answer what is expected There is no dialogue, no space for surprise, creation Teacher pretends to teach and student pretends to learn, there is no real learning

9. Teaching / Learning Participatory education (Paulo Freire / Montessori) Student builds own knowledge Teacher organizes environment, stimuli, learning opportunities Teacher and students are learning partners and lifelong learners  Different power distribution. Different distribution of active roles. Different process’ subject.

10. Scientific knowledge communication / traditional culture communication Scientific knowledge communication think about grand parents’ time classrooms conference hall front pulpits low level audience seats one person exposing his/her abstract knowledge There is not engagement, there is not knowledge building Similar to traditional education Still the most common

11. Scientific knowledge communication / traditional culture communication Traditional culture communication people sit in a circle at the same level opportunities for eye contact personal experience reported through stories emotion communicated There is engagement and knowledge building Similar to the new participatory approach for scientific communication, as the “scientific cafés”

12. Teaching / Learning Human beings are not teachable Human beings starve for learning

13. Amount of available information It would be impossible for each human being to make the whole path humanity walked in the knowledge evolution, to master all available information The process of building fundamental concepts, universal values of culture, not having those superimposed, is the basis for understanding any other piece of human knowledge Using the basis of the fundamental concepts and universal values for critical thinking, it is possible to make any part of this knowledge a personal property/feature through engagement and learning

14. What makes people engage and learn? Person must be subject in the learning/engagement process. Both are processes of subjectivity construction The process must be self-referenced, people need to have the opportunity to identify themselves with it Engagement and learning are personal construction, they are effective only from inside, does not work from outside Engagement and learning imply incorporation, appropriation, “make it mine”

15. Transforming information into personal knowledge One way to transform information in personal knowledge is acting over the information bringing it to our ground comparing universal data with our community’s data comparing stories with the ones we know from people around us  Researching in our community, building opinion and making decisions, choices

16. Difference between academic research and engaged learning Academic research is universal, impersonal, general the number included in the research is anyone no one sees oneself as that specific number Engaged learning self-referred, particular,  the number is myself, my students, persons with names and faces

17. What we are doing Working with rural teachers chosen topic: Pesticides a teachers’ real concern a teachers’ experiential knowledge

18. Methodology dialogue based on the teachers knowledge about their community and the researcher team knowledge about the universal aspects of the issue r esearch chain research team  representative teachers  teachers in the schools  students  community every chain’s link will follow all research steps to build a question  to create an instrument  to collect data  to analyse data  to write report Everyone will be a responsible participant that will have voice to construct a process that is cultural, sociological, political and economical

19. Actions resultants from teacher’s research To divulgate research’s findings and promote better practices when using pesticides these chain will develop activities interventions printed materials videos radio programs

20. First question What is the profile of pesticides use in my community? To become engaged the person needs to identify him/herself with the issue. The “number” is myself, is my student… The question makes the focus self-referenced It is important to be aware that from this general question can arise different specific questions that will be the central question of the research of one of the chain’s link.

21. We need to be “glocals”. Contextualize the research to the community.

22. Teacher research Bridge between the global knowledge and the local context Focus on question of the community’s specific interest Turns the research from “ general”, not referring to anyone that is next to me to an issue referred to people with faces and names  Teacher researches own reality

23. Research  word that scares Research is a state of mind completely aware willing to live entirely the present willing changes, searching solutions instead of “letting it be” In some sense everybody researches ➠ children research incessantly Children knows how to approach father or mother “ maybe = no” and “eventually = yes”  Research gives us control over our environment

24. Demystifying... Every teacher has questions searches for solutions tries strategies takes conclusions researches, even not writing the report …  in the same way as mothers and cookers and everybody who loves their own work do

25. Demystifying... Good teachers Observe the student Analyze his/her needs Adjust the curriculum to meet these needs  Teacher research is a natural extension of the good pedagogical practice. So, we begin where the teachers have ground

26. Teacher research Systematic process to discover essential questions gather data analyze them to answer the questions  personal and real questions My question Answer makes difference in my daily life

27. Teacher Research In relation to public engagement, aims deeper reflection better comprehension of the reality better comprehension of the students the habit of systemic thinking the habit of writing thoughts and observations to compare and follow processes to be a learning model to the students, involving students in research

28. Reports on teacher research Similar to good literature Rich in anecdotes and personal stories Immediate, first-person tone Metaphors as a way to highlight key findings Stories as critical tools to illuminate deeper theories or subterranean processes  These are reports that teachers read and information they use in their classrooms!

29. Teacher’s interest to be a “bridge” To be heard To have voice in the decisions that affect their community To better support their community in the search for life’s quality Numbers are the base for the government decisions Quantitative reports are not useful as model, they do not promote identification  Many times stories can be completed with quantitative tables

30. Social interest in having teacher as “bridge” Human beings  “story tellers” learn and pass on culture through stories Attitudes are modeled only in a “personal” and meaningful context  Teachers are able to integrate research findings important for our communities in personal and meaningful contexts ➠ transforming them in stories, making them attractive for public engagement

31. Student research Learning through project = through research excellent outcomes Students questions naturally personal and in the context can be inserted in the curriculum

32. Teacher research/ student research Search answers through research Write reports on their process

33. Teacher’s research outcomes engagement of teachers and students on health research community’s use of research findings for bettering people life  best practices when using pesticides empowerment of teachers and students the generalization of an attached to reality, investigative, critical and systematic approach to other relevant issues in the community understanding about the potential impact of health research on the improvement of their life more openness to use other scientific knowledge  Teacher’s research is a powerful tool that will bring teacher to another level of thinking and will be available to these teachers from now on to continue researching

34. “ Glocal” research leads to changes in attitudes Reasons why teacher research brings changes the teacher natural leadership the teacher and research integration in the context his/her direct relationship with his/her students The teacher will translate his/her conclusions to the community not only with numbers, but also with the tissue of the life of the observed with stories

35. “ Glocal” research leads to changes in attitudes Reasons why student research brings changes the question is personal and contextualized the adolescents are building attitudes and behaviors and will stand on their discoveries for this building they are open minded they have influence over their parents behavior and ideas

36. Education / public engagement education fosters public engagement public engagement fosters education promoting critically and systemic thinking bringing thinking to a formal level All children should fulfill their own potential Children engagement with research and children health awareness, since very little, foster a formal level of thinking Leading to education equity ➠ health equity Obviously we would not see the results in short term, but these results would be incredibly worth

37. Thank you! Maria Elizabeth Gastal Fassa [email_address]