Abstract:
The paper aims at addressing dialogical self development in children within school contexts from a dialogical and developmental perspective. It introduces the construct Dynamic Self Conceptions (DSC) as a unit of analysis concerning developmental change. Here we analyze the case study of Kelly, a fifth grade student in a public school in Brazil. Qualitative and interdisciplinary methodology integrated procedures such as observation, interviews and focal group sessions. The study identified and categorized multiple indicators of personal positioning and analysis considered subject active participation. Analyses focused on information from narratives and social interactions related to self references and evaluations. Results suggest that processes involved in children's personal changes may produce meaningful changes in DSC trajectories. They also indicate that dialogical self developmental appears to be intensely connected to one's own motivation and willingness to change, what entailed the construction of socio-affective and semiotic resources that, integrated with contextual factors, may function as catalysts for the emergence of new DSC.
Keywords:
dialogical self; development; cultural psychology; children