Várias pesquisas em ensino de ciências apontam a dificuldade que os estudantes apresentam para retomar conhecimentos de Física com os quais já tiveram contato anteriormente na escola. Apresentamos nesta tese o relato de uma pesquisa cujos objetivos são identificar o que os estudantes retomam das aulas de Física do ano anterior e compreender os processos que levam (ou não) a essas retomadas, considerando a perspectiva do ensino por investigação. Foi realizada observação participante em uma turma de 22 alunos de Ensino Médio, de uma instituição federal de ensino, durante seis meses, ao longo dos quais foram utilizadas com os estudantes algumas atividades investigativas sobre calor e temperatura, além das práticas usuais do professor para abordar a temática da Física Térmica. Aproximadamente um ano depois, o mesmo docente aplicou, para a mesma turma, atividades diferentes das iniciais, mas que solicitavam a retomada do que tinha sido ensinado previamente. Coletas de registros foram realizadas nesses diferentes momentos. Utilizamos cinco elementos teóricos como base para as análises realizadas - memória, cognição, afetividade, interação social e metacognição -, a fim de tentar compreender o processo de aprendizagem ao longo de diferentes momentos, considerando a perspectiva sócio-histórico-cultural vigotskiana. No processo de análise dos dados, elaboramos duas categorias de análise relativas às memórias mediadas: a memória científico-afetiva, que diz respeito ao que foi retomado e que guarda estreita relação com o conhecimento científico escolar e/ou é influenciado por ele; a memória afetivo-vivencial, que se refere ao que foi retomado e que não tem relação explícita com o conhecimento científico escolar. Um ano após as atividades iniciais, os estudantes retomaram, pela memória científico-afetiva, conhecimentos e habilidades relativas ao ensino por investigação e à metacognição. Entendemos que tais retomadas são indícios da aprendizagem dos temas de física trabalhados nos processos de ensino. Atividades realizadas em aula, sentimentos e sensações foram retomados pela memória afetivo-vivencial. As retomadas por ambas as memórias ocorreram por intermédio de elementos mediadores, que expressam de que forma ou por intermédio de que fatores tais retomadas foram feitas. A análise realizada nos permite defender a tese de que a aprendizagem de Física ao longo do tempo, na perspectiva do ensino por investigação, é influenciada e permeada por memórias mediadas, as quais envolvem aspectos cognitivos, afetivos e metacognitivos e são formadas e acessadas por elementos mediadores. Uma implicação de nossos resultados para o ensino de Física é o fato de que conhecer os elementos mediadores pode auxiliar o docente a elaborar seu ensino de modo a afetar positivamente a aprendizagem dos estudantes. Considerando a dificuldade que os estudantes apresentam para realizar retomadas de conhecimento em momentos posteriores ao ensino inicial na escola, concluímos que a perspectiva de ensino do professor e o tipo de atividade de retomada influenciam diretamente a forma como os alunos retomam situações e conhecimentos com os quais tiveram contato anteriormente. / Several researches in science teaching point out the difficulty students have to recall knowledge in Physics they have already had contact with at school. In this thesis, we present the report of a research which had the objective of identifying what the students recall from Physics classes they had in the previous year and comprehending the processes that lead (or not) to those recalls, considering the inquiry-based teaching. Participative observation has been carried out in a high school group with 22 students at a federal institution of learning, during six months. During those months, some inquiry-based activities were carried out with the students concerning heat and temperature, besides usual practices the teacher has to approach Thermal Physics themes. Nearly one year later, the same teacher applied activities to the same group, which were different from the initial ones, and requested the recall of what they have been previously taught. The collection of records was made in these different moments. We used five theoretical elements as the basis for the analyses performed - memory, cognition, affection, social interaction and metacognition - in order to attempt to comprehend the learning process all over the different moments, considering the cultural-historical perspective. In the process of data analysis, we have elaborated two categories of mediated memories: scientific-affective memory, corresponding to which has been recalled and that keeps close relation to the scientific knowledge and/or is influenced by it; affective-living memory, corresponding to which has been recalled and that has no explicit relation to the scientific knowledge. One year after the initial activities, the students recalled, by scientific-affective memory, knowledge and abilities related to the inquiry-based teaching and to metacognition. We understand such recalls are evidences that the students learned some of the Physics topics that were taught. Activities carried out in class, feelings and sensations were recalled by affective-living memory. The recalls by both memories happened by mediating elements, which express the way or the factors by which those recalls were made. The analysis performed allows us to defend the thesis that the Physics learning over time, from the perspective of the inquiry-based teaching, is influenced and permeated by mediated memories, which involve cognitive, affective and metacognitive aspects and are formed and accessed by mediating elements. An implication of our results to Physics teaching is the fact that knowing the mediating elements may help the teacher elaborate his teaching in order to positively affect the students\" learning. Considering the above mentioned difficulty students have to make recalls of knowledge in moments after the initial learning at school, we conclude that the teacher\"s teaching perspective and the type of recall activity directly impact the way the students recall situations and knowledge with which they have had prior contact.

Nos últimos anos aumentou o número de pesquisas que abordam aspectos epistemológicos no ensino de ciências, destacando a ideia de que este não deve se preocupar somente com a aquisição de conceitos, mas também deve possibilitar que os alunos se apropriem das práticas epistêmicas da ciência, favorecendo assim a Alfabetização Científica. As páginas que se seguem apresentam um estudo de caso qualitativo planejado e realizado para compreender como se dá o engajamento dos alunos em práticas epistêmicas da cultura científica. Nosso principal objetivo foi analisar as práticas de inscrição realizadas pelos alunos e suas relações com a produção de explicações e argumentos durante uma atividade investigativa sobre crescimento populacional de Lemna sp. Os dados da pesquisa foram coletados durante as aulas de biologia em duas classes do primeiro ano do ensino médio (alunos com idades entre 15 e 16 anos) de uma escola pública estadual da cidade de São Paulo. A análise da sequência didática e dos relatórios produzidos pelos alunos nos forneceu evidências de que as práticas epistêmicas experimentadas pelos alunos ao longo da atividade de investigação diferem a depender do tipo de dado coletado por eles, se de acordo com o modelo explicativo já conhecido ou diferente do previsto pelo modelo. Além disso, nossa análise evidenciou que o contexto de investigação constitui-se como importante repertório interpretativo das inscrições literárias produzidas pelos alunos, favorecendo a construção de explicações com garantia nos dados coletados. O contexto de investigação também se mostrou relevante na construção de argumentos, uma vez que a maioria das justificativas utilizadas era de natureza empírica, especialmente nos relatórios dos alunos que trabalharam com dados não previstos pelo modelo explicativo. Assim, após análise da sequência didática e dos relatórios produzidos pelos alunos, encontramos evidências de que a atividade de investigação propiciou oportunidades de engajamento em práticas epistêmicas da cultura científica, especialmente aquelas relacionadas à produção e intrepretação de inscrições literárias, o que favoreceu o processo de construção de explicações e argumentos, práticas fundamentais na produção do conhecimento científico. / In recent years increased the number of researches on epistemological aspects in science teaching, emphasizing the idea that this shouldn\'t be concerned only with the acquisition of concepts, but should also enable students to take ownership of epistemic practices of science, favoring so the Scientific Literacy. Here, is presented a qualitative case study planned and conducted to understand how is the engagement of students in epistemic practices of scientific culture. Our aim was to analyze the application of practices carried out by students and their relationship with the production of explanations and arguments during an investigative activity on growth of Lemna sp population. The data were collected during biology classes from high school classes in a public high school, São Paulo city, Brazil (students aged: 15 to 16 years). The analysis of the inquiry-based learning activity and reports produced by the students provided us with evidence that the epistemic practices experienced by the students during the research activity differ depending on the data type collected by them, in accordance with the explanatory model already known by students or different predicted by these model. In addition, our analysis showed that the research context constitutes an important interpretive repertoire of literary inscriptions produced by the students, favoring the construction of explanations to assure the data collected. The research context was also relevant in the construction of arguments, since most of the justifications used was empirical, especially, in the reports of the students who worked with data not provided by the explanatory model. So after a review of inquiry-based learning activity and reports produced by the students, we found evidence that this inquiry-based learning activity led engagement opportunities in epistemic practices of scientific culture, especially those related to production and interpretation of literary inscriptions, which favored the process of construction of explanations and arguments, fundamental issues for the production of scientific knowledge.

A educação científica tem se voltado para atividades pedagógicas que utilizam a prática investigativa de alunos. Um dos objetivos é que os estudantes se apropriem não apenas dos conceitos científicos, mas também das práticas específicas da atividade científica. Uma das pretensões é que os alunos desenvolvam a competência da argumentação científica. Esta investigação pretende compreender como os alunos desenvolvem sua argumentação escrita, analisando a utilização que fazem dos dados como evidências da seleção natural de forma a sustentar suas conclusões na resolução de questões investigativas sobre evolução biológica. Elaboramos uma sequência didática cuja arquitetura estabelece os alicerces para a ação pedagógica do professor e promove uma atuação investigativa dos alunos. A arquitetura da sequência tem duas bases integradoras: a) a educação científica baseada em investigação e b) a matriz de construção histórica da investigação de Darwin sobre a seleção natural como mecanismo da evolução biológica. Para investigar como seria o ensino da evolução biológica que recupera o viés da matriz investigativa utilizada por Darwin, nossa questão-problema foi construída com dois grandes focos: a) como articular intenções conceituais e metodológicas características da natureza das ciências biológicas com a abordagem dos principais obstáculos da construção histórica do conceito de seleção natural numa sequência didática baseada em investigação e b) de como é a utilização de dadosT como evidências da seleção natural na composição da estrutura argumentativa escrita de alunos de ensino médio durante a aplicação de uma Sequência de Ensino de Biologia Baseada em Investigação (SEEBI) para o ensino de evolução biológica. Para investigar nossa questão, elaboramos a SEBBI que foi aplicada por uma professora da rede pública para 125 alunos da 3ª série do ensino médio de uma escola pública estadual de São Paulo. Nossa metodologia é de abordagem qualitativa integrada a uma abordagem quantitativa. Nossos dados compõem-se de: a) materiais (apostilas, modelos experimentais, elementos audiovisuais utilizados nas aulas) e b) apostilas com respostas escritas pelos alunos após as atividades propostas. As análises foram realizadas a partir das apostilas escritas dos alunos, dos materiais elaborados e disponibilizados na SEBBI e na transcrição que realizamos. Os resultados mostram que a SEBBI tem alicerces em intenções conceituais e metodológicas características da biologia. Além disso, os resultados apontam para uma superação de obstáculos conceituais pelos alunos, como a teleologia cósmica e o fixismo, para a construção do conceito de seleção natural. Os resultados das análises apresentam uma melhora na capacidade argumentativa dos alunos, uma forte correlação entre o uso de dados de evolução biológica com a construção de argumentos de maior qualidade pelos alunos, pelo uso de justificativa (garantia e apoio) alicerçada em conhecimento científico. Há evidências da ampliação da construção de argumentos, tanto no aumento do número de componentes utilizados quanto na qualidade dos componentes campos-dependentes da ciência, como o apoio e evidências. Os argumentos construídos passam a apresentar a sustentação baseada em apoio conceitual específico do paradigma das ciências biológicas como a seleção natural, validando as conclusões a partir do uso de dadosT de Toulmin da investigação realizada pelos alunos. / The scientific education has focused on pedagogical activities that use students investigative practice. One of the objectives is so that students not only obtain the scientific concepts, but also the specific practices of science activity. It is a pretention that students develop their scientific argumentation competence. This investigation aims at understanding how students develop their written argumentation, analyzing their use of data as evidence of natural selection in order to sustain their conclusions about biological evolution investigative questions. We made a didactic sequence, which architecture establishes the foundation to the teachers pedagogical actions, and promotes students investigative actions. The sequence lies on two integrative bases: a) an investigation based scientific education and b) Darwins investigation on the natural selection as a mechanism of the historical construction matrix of biological evolution. In order to examine how would it be the biological evolution teaching based in Darwins investigative structure, our problem question was built with two main focuses: a) how could we articulate conceptual and methodological intentions, characteristic to biological sciences, with the approach of the main historical obstacles of natural selection in evolving into the concept of the mechanism of biological evolution in a didactic sequence based upon inquiry and b) how it is the use of data as evidence of natural selection in the high school students written argumentative structure during the application of Inquiry Based Biology Teaching Sequence (SEEBI, in Portuguese) to biological evolution teaching. To investigate our task, we developed a SEEBI that was applied by a public networks teacher to 125 high schools senior year students in a public school of São Paulo. Our methodology has qualitative and quantitative approaches. Our data consists of: a) materials (textbooks, experimental models, audio-visual resources used in class) and b) booklets with answers written by the students after the proposed activities. The data analyses were based upon these booklets, with students written answers, materials elaborated and posted in the SEEBI and also in the transcription we did. The results show that SEEBI has its foundation lied on conceptual and methodological intentions, characteristic to Biology. Furthermore, the results indicate an overcoming of conceptual obstacles as well, such as cosmic teleology and fixism, therefore, building the concept of natural selection as a mechanism of biological evolution. The study of the consequences presents an improvement in students argumentative ability, a strong correlation between the use of data from biological evolution with the construction of higher quality arguments by the students, using justifications (warranty and theoretical support) grounded in scientific knowledge. Theres evidence of an expansion of the arguments construction, both increasing the number of used components as well as the field-dependent components of sciences quality, such as support and evidence. The arguments constructed shall provide support based on specific conceptual assistance in paradigms of Biology, like natural selection, validating the findings from the use of data (Toulmin, 2006) in researches conducted by students.

This master thesis deals with the issue of inquiry based learning in sciences at primary school level. The theoretical part of the thesis is focused on the development, realization and pros and cons of inquiry based learning. Additionally there is an overview of inquiry based activities in the commonly used textbooks for first level of primary schools and the list of extended literature intended to inspire the teachers to practise inquiry based learning. The practical part of the thesis is based on information gained from interviews with primary school teachers. The aim was to find out how inquiry based learning is perceived by teachers. Their opinions, advanatages and disadvantages of inquiry based learning and its practical use in education is discussed. Consequently, overlaps and influence of such education methods on the integration of pupils to a society is presented here. The thesis provides a complete overview on the issue of application of inquiry based learning to traditional education methods. This research informs readers about possible problems related to the implementation of inquiry based learning to practice. Based on the described situations, the realization can be easier due to the identification of possible difficulties and their solution. Keywords inquiry based education, primary...

This thesis is focused on interconnection between education of plant pigments and inquiry- based science education in upper primary school. The theoretical section of this thesis deals with the current quality of education and knowledge level of Czech pupils in science subjects, as well as characteristic of inquiry based science education and description of various types of plant pigments. Evaluation of publications focused on occurrence of plant pigments in curricular document is another part of this thesis. The study revealed that plant pigments represent only a marginal topic of these publications. The next section of this thesis is a questionnaire survey about utilization of inquiry based science education among the teachers of biology in upper primary school. The results showed that most of the teachers were well acquainted with the method and applied it during their teaching. The last section of this thesis contains two proposals for experimental tasks of inquiry-based science education of plant pigments, which are focused on interface of biology and chemistry. Both tasks were successfully solved.

The results of the international study TIMSS (The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) raise concerns that Czech primary pupils fall behind in some content domains of science (namely the physical sciences) and in some skills (experimental skills). This thesis compares the Czech curriculum with the current international trends in the science education and shows that above mentioned topics/skills are not sufficiently covered in the official curriculum. The second part of the thesis describes a case study of a relatively successful implementation of innovative science lessons focused on these skills in three primary classrooms of a Czech school. The concepts of inquiry-based learning, theory of learning materials and lesson study method are the main components of the theoretical and conceptual background of the study. When comparing the Czech curriculum (official documents and textbooks used in school) and school curricular plans with the TIMSS framework, it emerges that both the national curricular framework and the school curriculum do not cover some of those upper mentioned. Based on these findings, a lesson plan introducing some of the missing areas and task types was developed and tested in a particular school. The qualitative research desigh of case study with embedded...

This work examines the learning outcomes of a French professional development program for science education in primary school, ASTEP. The program is based on a partnership between a primary school teacher on one hand and a subject expert on the other. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that the subject expert is a young university student who is challenged to be assessed on his/her learning for academic credits. Compared to most other professional development programs, ASTEP displays an alternative knowledge hierarchy, it is neither top down nor bottom up, but rather a form of knowledge exchange. Data on students´ and teachers´ reflections on the collaboration were analyzed through a grounded theory approach and subsequently organized within the interconnected model of teacher professional growth (IMTPG). Although the analyses indicated significant changes in the practice of the teachers, the learners who individually seem to benefit the most were the university students. The ASTEP program appears to provide a low stake high support scaffold for the students to refine their values and beliefs about a professional life and develop a professional identity.

The focus of this study is on foundation phase and early childhood teachers’ professional identity formation. This study is about six beginning teachers in their first year of teaching early mathematics, science and technology (MST) in different schools and grade levels. Early childhood settings and primary schools in South Africa have a diverse learner body that increasingly demands of beginning early childhood and foundation phase teachers to continually strive to adapt their teaching and young children’s learning to the different learning environments for effective implementation of the curriculum. A learning identity framework was used to generate and analyse data. The learning identity framework is premised on the assumption that identity and learning are closely linked and that both are influenced by factors internal and external to the individual. Specifically, the study sought to answer the research question of how beginning first year early childhood and foundation phase teachers form, sustain or change their professional teacher identity in the teaching of mathematics, science and technology (MST) in the early years and in different school settings. The study used a phenomenological approach and case study method to explain the professional teacher identity formation process and to illuminate what factors influence this process. The study researched how teacher identities can be narratively constructed on the basis of the lived experiences of the six teachers in different school contexts. Data was generated from different sources for the purpose of triangulation which included visual and written narratives, observations and interviews (open and semi-structured). The analysis and results were based on categories of descriptions of themes. The findings indicate that identity formation is an ongoing process of integration of teachers’ personal and professional histories and initial teacher education and training, alongside issues of school culture and institutional (in-school) support. Those key factors emerge as strong determinants of the kinds and the relative stability or otherwise of professional identities which the six teachers develop in the first year of MST teaching, and thus the kind of reform minded teachers they become. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

Implicit in the call for educational reform in the teaching of social studies has been the suggestion that pursuing inquiry-based principles will lead to improvement in student achievement. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two types of pedagogy: traditional and inquiry-based upon student achievement as measured by a standards-based, state administered examination. Second, this study examined the relationship between the treatment teachers' level of implementation and student achievement. A nonequivalent control group posttest and experimental design was used in this study. Subjects involved in this study include 84 secondary American history teachers and their respective students from a large urban public school district in Texas. The sample consisted of two groups, one taught by traditional/didactic instruction (n=48) and the other taught by inquiry-based pedagogy (n=36). Data for this study were collected using a classroom observation protocol based upon the level of use rubric developed by the concerns-based adoption model. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) (p<.05) was used to measure the effects of inquiry-based instruction and traditional pedagogy on student achievement. Student achievement results were measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for American history, grades 8 and 11. The study found that mean scores of the Grade 8 History Alive! group were significantly higher than the scores of the control group, but not for the Grade 11 History Alive! group. However, a comparison of mean scores by teachers' level-of-use suggested that the more faithful the teacher in designing standards-based lessons and delivering them through inquiry, the greater retention of American history student's knowledge about the subject.

This study investigates the effectiveness of an inquiry-based learning curriculum for middle school students with learning and/or attentional disabilities (LD and/or ADHD). The main questions asked were: To what extent can an inquiry-based learning curriculum focused on digital responsibility impact: (1) well-being; (2) smartphone usage; and (3) smartphone awareness among adolescents with LD and/or ADHD? Fifty middle school participants with LD and/or ADHD were divided into two groups, an experimental group and a control group. Findings showed a significant increase both in positive affect and in awareness of personal smartphone usage for experimental, but not control, participants, suggesting that inquiry-based learning may be an effective approach for teaching digital responsibility to students with LD and/or ADHD. Other findings indicated that social connectivity is a high priority for today's adolescents. Additional insights and implications are discussed.