Desenvolvimento de forças de caráter em estudantes do ensino fundamental: uma proposta de intervenção

Abstract

Positive psychology is considered a new perspective of investigation and intervention, which proposes to study the conditions and processes that contribute to the well-being of individuals, groups and institutions. Defined as positive psychological characteristics, the forces of character, can propel the individual favoring the full and healthy development in the psychological, biological and social levels. This research had as objective to present a proposal of intervention for the development of virtues and forces of character in elementary education. The participants were 27 children, 12 girls and 15 boys, from a public school in a city in the interior of western São Paulo, aged between 9 and 11 years. For the accomplishment of the intervention eight meetings were realized with weekly periodicity and approximately 1h45min duration. The forces of character, creativity, curiosity, desire to learn, critical thinking, perspective, humor, persistence and selfregulation were addressed. The activities applied in the meetings were storytelling, presentation of images and production of the mental map of each force. As a tool for data collection, the logbook was used, called happiness notebook, in which after each intervention the children recorded daily situations that experienced the forces. The results were organized in categories from the representations of the children on each force. With regard to force humor referred to play, tell jokes and laugh. Persistence was represented by expressions such as not being lazy and not giving up. As for the curiosity and creativity forces the children said they might be observing and doing research. Critical thinking implies understanding and positioning. Expressions such as knowing how to guide and improve people's lives have been associated with strength perspective. Concerning the desire to learn is to research and understand, to awaken to knowledge and study. Terms such as do not be nervous, do not put the blame on others, do not be ashamed, do not forget to do homework, and read again what you did not understand, belongs to self-regulation force. It is hoped that the intervention will be effective in developing student strengths and that it will help to develop strategies to be used in the classroom for the academic and interpersonal development of children. That this research can expand the possibilities of applying positive psychology in the school context as a resource favorable to the development of the forces of character.