STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF SCIENCE CURRICULUM IN PORTUGAL: RETHINKING PATHS, REINVENTING WAYS ...

• Tipo: Artigo em Livro de Atas de Conferência Internacional
• Data: 2012

Autores

Clara Vasconcelos (Autor) FCUP; Filomena Amador (Autor) Outra; Joana Torres (Autor) Outra

Ata de Conferência Internacional

Título: 5TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (ICERI 2012)

Páginas: 2618-2627

5th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI)

Madrid, SPAIN, NOV 19-21, 2012

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 2 Citações

Classificação Científica

FOS: Ciências sociais > Ciências da educação

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-005-3ZC

Abstract (EN): The current Portuguese physics and natural sciences curriculum of the third cycle of basic education began being implemented in 2001. The Ministry of Education adopted a curriculum based in the development of competencies and suggested an inquiry approach to students activities. The curriculum was prepared so as to develop knowledge of scientific ideas as well as to promote an understanding of the activities that help scientists study the natural world. With this inquiry-based approach students were provided with an opportunity to plan empirical experiments and/or research theoretical evidence, directed to one specific problem related to daily life. The coordinator of the curriculum design suggested that, in order to be assimilated by students, the latter has to be understood in terms of content knowledge, which follows the European recommendations on new forms of teaching and learning. According to the same authors, this emphasis on content knowledge highlights the relevance of inquiry-based approaches, the need to favor students' active intellectual engagement and the significance of the learning environments, which facilitate personal and meaningful knowledge construction mediated by social interaction. The present study is integrated in a research project that aims to evaluate the physics and natural sciences curriculum of the third cycle of basic education in Portugal and it mirrors the perceptions of 173 students who answered a short questionnaire. Within the scope of this research project a multi-case study is being conducted. Thus, the evidence resulting from the questionnaire will be combined and analyzed in the wider scope of the results of other study-cases. The questionnaire, validated by the research team and applied during the second trimester of the 2010-11 scholar year, led to the collection of some data concerning several learning experiences as perceived by students. These include activities developed by teachers, collaborative work, autonomous learning, assessment methods, teaching instructional methodologies and opinions regarding the interest, difficulty, motivation and applicability of scientific knowledge in daily life. Surprisingly (or not so much), the majority of answers indicate that experimental work is undertaken only sometimes (Physics Sciences: n= 124; 71,7%) or even rarely or never (Natural Sciences: n=114; 65,9%). On the other hand students reported that teachers use the textbook in all classes (Physics Sciences: n= 50; 34,7%; Natural Sciences: n= 79; 45,7%) and give too many lectures (Physics Sciences: n=104; 60,1%; Natural Sciences: n=95; 54,9%). Another specific information is related to scarcity of technological applications (Physics Sciences: n= 63; 36,4%) and to the ongoing and excessive use of tests to asses students (Natural Sciences: n=65; 37,6%). This communication also presents a profile analysis that compares the Physics Sciences Lessons and Natural Sciences Lessons with an inquiry-based approach (ideal profile). The results of the questionnaire are combined with those obtained through other instruments in order to further validate and reinforce any claim. Nonetheless, the students' perceptions of the implementation of the physics and natural sciences curriculum already give some relevant indication as to the ways curricula designers in Portugal should rethink their designs. Furthermore, they also give relevant information as to how to reinvent ways to implement an inquiry approach in science classes.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 10