O ensino de Ciências numa perspectiva de alfabetização científica: uma proposta de formação continuada para professores alfabetizadores

Abstract

This dissertation presents a research developed from a continuing education course for literacy teachers of the municipal schools in Bagé / RS, proposed by the Municipal Secretary of Education and Professional Training. The researching approach is close to the Participant Research, due to the intervention of the researcher in the researched reality (course trainer), whose main objective is to mediate the construction and development of pedagogical practices in the teaching of Science, in a perspective of Scientific Literacy, in the cycle of literacy. It has been requested that each school, from Elementary School in the urban area, selected a literacy teacher to participate in the training. The course counted on the effective participation of 32 literacy teachers until the end. The researcher presented the intention of the training to the teachers, with a structure of six meetings, in service, emphasizing the flexibility for possible re-adaptation of the themes to the needs that could arise, highlighting the voluntary and anonymous participation. According to its development, the following topics were addressed: Pedagogical Models and their Epistemological Assumptions; Science teaching; Scientific Literacy; Science Learning Rights; Science Workshops; and, Final Seminar. The meetings four and five had the collaboration of invited teachers. The course provided moments for discussion, exchange of experiences and reflection between theory and practice, valuing the practical knowledge of teaching. As a research product, an E-book was created, entitled "The teaching of Science in a perspective of Scientific Literacy: practices in the literacy cycle", with the collection of experience reports of the practices developed and validated by literacy teachers in their classes during the training. The interpretation of the research data was done through Content Analysis, from the following categories: Conceptions, challenges and difficulties of teaching Science; From difficulties to possibilities in science teaching; and, Influence of training to practice in science teaching. It was verified that most part of the teachers left the subjects of Sciences in a low priority, emphasizing the subjects of Portuguese and Mathematics. As main challenges, the teachers initially pointed out the lack of training in the area, lack of adequate materials and resources, lack of planning moments, difficulty in understanding Science Learning Rights and the way of teaching Science to the age range of the groups. However, the center of these difficulties seemed to be tied to their earlier conceptions of Science. Considering the reflections built up in formation, the committed participation and the re-adaptation of the pedagogical practice, by the teachers, it is concluded that it is possible to develop the teaching of science, in this stage of schooling, in a more frequent and systematic way (even if students are not literate in their mother tongue yet), initiating the process of Scientific Literacy for citizen formation; as well as the practical training has demonstrated to be more effective on achieving the teachers needs, by valuing the practical knowledge, strengthening the professional identity, putting itself as a path which can be followed by different educational networks.