Profile of tecnologists in building construction: study about the concatenation between competencies in formation and in professional practice
professional qualification, competencies, construction, clinic of activity, instruction to the double.
The present doctorate research aimed to investigate competencies in training and professional practice of technologists in building construction. The research contributed in this context to the discussion about the nature of competencies and skills required for professional occupations historically characterized as predominantly practical, founded on practical, extra-academic and pragmatic knowledge (know-what), in contrast to symbolic-formal competencies based on formal and conceptual knowledge (know-how). The thesis is based on the perspective of the historical-cultural psychology and supported by theoretical and methodological proposals of Clinic of Activity. The survey was conducted with certified professionals (former students), teachers and managers participating in the Course of Technology in Building Construction. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of production and data analysis was adopted for achievement of expected goals. A socio-professional survey was applied in the quantitative step, 41 (forty one) participants having returned the on-line questionnaire. The quantitative data analysis was performed using descriptive uni and multidimensional statistic methods, completed by inferential statistical analysis. Official pedagogical documents were inspected in the qualitative stage, what was completed by semi-structured interviews with teachers and managers and Instruction to the Double interviews with professionals. This step was based on clinical and interpretative analysis, based on the cultural-historical Vygotskian perspective and the French approach to competencies and skills. Results allowed verifying that professionals are mostly young (average age of 26 years and 06 months), 58.6% of participants being female, 58.5% single and only 19.5% having children. It was also verified that the profession of technologist in construction of buildings is considered as a preliminary stage or passageway toward other training and professional occupations, especially civil engineering. The main competencies required from technologist in construction of buildings encompass areas of management, project and budget. Final conclusion stresses that the occupation of technologist in construction of buildings has a solid background in terms of formation, connected to demands of the labor market and based on theoretical and practical knowledge issued from previous training process, according to the evaluation of participants. However, this professional occupation is still referred to civil engineering. For this reason, a need for consolidation of professional identity of technologist in building construction by the regulators of the professional activity and by the labor market is required.