<p>This thesis examines how pupils in the upper level of compulsory school learn about environmental issues and related theoretical concepts in an instruction employing an investigative approach and thematically organised content. The results of the study give reason to question some central arguments supporting these designs of instruction. Additionally, and primarily, these results contribute to research on concept formation. An understanding of pupils’ difficulties in learning theoretical concepts as a problem of contextualization is derived, representing an alternative to the influential view in which pupils’ difficulties are seen as a problem of conceptual change.</p><p>Three case studies carried out within the pupils’ regular instruction are presented. The empirical material consists of recorded conversations, observational notes and the pupils’ own written material.</p><p>The first study shows that the pupils experience difficulty in distinguishing among the different meanings attached to individual concepts in various conceptual contexts. This implies that pupils are often unable to identify the meaning relevant to the specific environmental problem on which they are working. The second study shows that the pupils do not make the connection between theoretical concepts and practical activities, as intended in instruction. Instead, they interpret the concepts within separate practical contexts, i.e. interpretative contexts other than the theoretical contexts. Finally, the third study demonstrates that the context for a pupil’s investigation changes as the pupil’s values concerning the environmental issues are brought to the fore. Thus, the outcome indicates that contextualization is a main factor in pupils’ learning of theoretical concepts. It is shown that the pupils’ understanding of theoretical concepts is dependent on their contextualizations of these concepts, both with regard to different conceptual contexts and with regard to different levels within a context. It is also demonstrated that emotions play a part in pupils’ learning by determining into which context pupils choose to enter.</p>

This thesis examines how pupils in the upper level of compulsory school learn about environmental issues and related theoretical concepts in an instruction employing an investigative approach and thematically organised content. The results of the study give reason to question some central arguments supporting these designs of instruction. Additionally, and primarily, these results contribute to research on concept formation. An understanding of pupils’ difficulties in learning theoretical concepts as a problem of contextualization is derived, representing an alternative to the influential view in which pupils’ difficulties are seen as a problem of conceptual change. Three case studies carried out within the pupils’ regular instruction are presented. The empirical material consists of recorded conversations, observational notes and the pupils’ own written material. The first study shows that the pupils experience difficulty in distinguishing among the different meanings attached to individual concepts in various conceptual contexts. This implies that pupils are often unable to identify the meaning relevant to the specific environmental problem on which they are working. The second study shows that the pupils do not make the connection between theoretical concepts and practical activities, as intended in instruction. Instead, they interpret the concepts within separate practical contexts, i.e. interpretative contexts other than the theoretical contexts. Finally, the third study demonstrates that the context for a pupil’s investigation changes as the pupil’s values concerning the environmental issues are brought to the fore. Thus, the outcome indicates that contextualization is a main factor in pupils’ learning of theoretical concepts. It is shown that the pupils’ understanding of theoretical concepts is dependent on their contextualizations of these concepts, both with regard to different conceptual contexts and with regard to different levels within a context. It is also demonstrated that emotions play a part in pupils’ learning by determining into which context pupils choose to enter.

Undersökande arbetssätt ska enligt läroplanerna ingå i undervisningen i matematik för alla åldrar. Majoriteten av den forskning som lagts på undersökande arbetssätt har fokuserat på åldrar upp till grundskolans senare år. Syftet för detta arbete är att avgränsa sig till hur undersökande arbetssätt används i matematikundervisning i svensk gymnasieskola, och lyfta hur lärarna ser på undersökande arbetssätt som möjlighet för delaktighet och differentierad undervisning. Datainsamlingen har gjort genom kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer av fem undervisande gymnasielärare i matematik. Resultatet visar på att lärarna har olika syn på hur man kan få in undersökande arbetssätt i undervisningen, men även på en gemensam uppfattning om att elevernas delaktighet är den mest centrala förutsättningen för en lyckad undervisning oavsett arbetssätt. / According to the curricula, an investigative approach is expected to be included in mathematics education for all age groups. The majority of research conducted on using an investigative approach has been focused on age groups up to the later years of primary school. The purpose of this work is to narrow down the focus on how an investigative approach is used in mathematics education in Swedish high schools and to highlight how teachers view the use of an investigative approach as an opportunity for participation and differentiated education. Data collection was conducted through qualitative semi-structured interviews with five teaching high school mathematics. The results indicate that teachers have different perspectives on how to incorporate an investigative approach into their teaching, but there is also a common understanding that students' participation is the most central prerequisite for successful education, regardless of the approach used.

Esta tese discute potencialidades, limitações e desafios envolvidos na implementação da abordagem histórico-investigativa (HI) em aulas de física. Entendemos como abordagem histórico-investigativa, o uso de atividades experimentais de cunho investigativo pautadas na história e filosofia da ciência, centrada no aluno e orientada pelo professor, de modo a criar situações de ensino e aprendizagem que propiciem a aprendizagem de conteúdos científicos e metacientíficos e estimulem a argumentação em sala. A abordagem HI foi utilizada para criar novos roteiros para kits de calor, ótica e mecânica da Experimentoteca do Centro de Divulgação Científica e Cultural da Universidade de São Paulo (CDCC-USP localizado na cidade de São Carlos). Os novos roteiros foram desenvolvidos em parceria com professores usuários da Experimentoteca, atuantes na rede pública de ensino. A metodologia de pesquisa utilizada foi a Design Based Research (DBR) com o intuito de integrar a pesquisa com o desenvolvimento de intervenções educativas em ambientes de aprendizagem. Adotamos como referencial de análise das atividades aplicadas o Losango Didático, proposto por Méheut e Psillos, que considera as dimensões epistêmica e pedagógica dos saberes escolares. Também analisamos as Práticas Epistêmicas, propostas por Silva e por Araújo, que ocorrem ao longo das arestas do Losango Didático. / This thesis discusses the potentials, limitations, and challenges involved in the implementation of historical-investigative approach (HI) in physics classes. We understand as a historical-investigative approach, the use of investigative activities based on the history and philosophy of science, centered on the students and guided by the teacher. The main goals of the approach are to create teaching and learning situations that allow reflection on scientific and meta-scientific contents, to foster the learning of scientific concepts and the argumentation in class. The HI approach was used to create new guides for experimental kits on heat, optics, and mechanics of Experimetoteca of the Center for Scientific and Cultural Dissemination of University of São Paulo (CDCC-USP - located in the city of São Carlos). The new scripts were developed in partnership with public school teachers who are users of the Experimentoteca. The research methodology used was Design-Based Research (DBR) to integrate research with the development of educational interventions in learning environments. As framework for the analysis of the results, we adopted the Didactic Rhombus, proposed by Méheut and Psillos activities, which considers the epistemic and pedagogical dimensions of school knowledge. We also analyzed the Epistemic Practices, proposed by Silva and by Araújo, that occur along the edges of the Didactic Rhombus.

This research aimed to identify the limits and possibilities of the research approaches in Science Teaching in two distinct periods, one before the new curriculum guidelines for teacher training and the other after the implementation of the reforms. In this study, 72 papers published in scientific journals and congresses in the area of Science Teaching were analyzed. The articles were divided into two periods, the first from 1999 to 2005 and the second, from 2006 to 2015. All articles were submitted to a bibliographic analysis, aided by the RQDA (Rstudio) qualitative analysis software. The results indicate that there are several limiting factors involved in investigative approaches, the main limiting factor being the teacher figure and that there have been advances in this issue in relation to the two periods analyzed. Regarding the possibilities, it was verified that there were also advances in relation to the two periods analyzed, indicating that the implementation of policies in the field of training and valorization of teacher training reflect directly on the work of teachers in the classroom. / Nesta pesquisa buscou-se identificar limites e possibilidades das abordagens investigativas no Ensino de Ciências em dois períodos distintos: um antes das novas diretrizes curriculares para a formação de professores e outro após a implementação das reformas. Neste estudo foram objeto de análise 72 artigos publicados em revistas científicas e anais de congressos na área de Ensino de Ciências. Os artigos foram divididos em dois períodos: o primeiro entre os anos de 1999 a 2005 e o segundo entre os anos de 2006 a 2015. Todos os artigos foram submetidos a uma análise bibliográfica, auxiliados pelo software de análise qualitativa RQDA (Rstudio). Os resultados indicam que há vários fatores limitantes nas abordagens investigativas, sendo o principal fator limitante centrado na figura do professor, e que houve avanços nesta questão em relação aos dois períodos analisados. Em relação às possibilidades, verificou-se que houve avanços em relação aos dois períodos analisados, indicando que a implementação de políticas no campo de formação e valorização da formação de professores refletem diretamente na prática dos professores em sala de aula.

Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap om lärandemiljöer för undersökande arbetssätt i förskolan. Utifrån studiens syfte valdes semistrukturerad intervju som metod. I studien har åtta förskollärare intervjuats för att belysa deras beskrivningar hur de inkluderar lärmiljön utifrån undersökande arbetssätt. Undersökande arbetssätt kopplas i studien till produktiva frågor inom naturvetenskaplig undervisning. Studien utgår ifrån sociokulturella perspektivet där begreppen mentala redskap, artefakter, appropriering och scaffolding är i fokus. Begreppen har valts för att analysera förskollärarnas beskrivning av deras tillvägagångssätt kopplat till naturvetenskaplig undervisning. Utifrån resultatet beskriver förskollärarna att de skapar lärandemiljöer i förskolan kopplat till naturvetenskap genom att kombinera läroplanen, barnens avtryck och intresse. Detta genom att observera och dokumentera barnen för att synliggöra detta i förskolans lärmiljöer. Materialet i lärmiljön har stor betydelse för att skapa en lärmiljö som inspirerar barnen att undersöka och utforska. Materialet ska vara i barnens höjd där barnen får vara självständiga påvisar resultatet. Resultatet belyser förskollärarnas beskrivningar av hur de skapar förutsättningar för produktiva frågor hos barnen i undersökande arbetssätt i naturvetenskaplig undervisning. Detta för att skapa en trygg atmosfär där barnens frågor får ta plats. För att skapa en trygg atmosfär inkluderas engagerade, nyfikna och medvetna förskollärare som resultatet visar. Vid olika undervisningssituationer och experiment krävs en ämneskompetent förskollärare som inkluderar ämnesinriktade begrepp i undervisningen. Resultatet indikerar för ett behov av kompetensutveckling inom naturvetenskaplig undervisning. Förskollärarna beskriver en osäkerhet för att utmana och stötta barnens lärande utifrån barnens upptäckter och utforskande. / The purpose of this study is to contribute with knowledge about learning environment for an investigative approach in preschool. Based on the purpose of the study, a semi-structured interview was chosen as the method. In the study, eight preschool teachers were interviewed to illuminate their descriptions of how they include the learning environment with investigative approach. Investigative approach is connected in the study to productive questions in science teaching. The study is based on the sociocultural perspective were the concepts as mental tools, artefacts, appropriation and scaffolding are in focus. The concepts have been chosen to analyze the preschool teacher’s descriptions of their approach connected to science teaching. Based on the results, the preschool teachers describe that they create learning environments in the preschool connected to science by combining the curriculum, children´s imprint and interests. This by observing and documenting the children to make this visible in the preschool´s learning environments. The material in the learning environment is of great importance to creating a learning environment that inspires the children to investigate and explore. The material should be at the children´s height, where the children can be independent the result shows. The results sheds light the preschool teacher’s descriptions of how they create the conditions for productive questions for the children in investigative approach in science teaching. This is to create a safe atmosphere where the children´s questions can take place. To create a safe atmosphere engaged, curious and aware preschool teachers are included, as the results show. In various teaching situations and experiments, a subject-competent preschool teacher is required who includes subject-oriented concepts in the teaching. The result indicates a need for competence development in science teaching. The preschool teachers describe an insecurity to challenge and support the children´s learning based on the children´s discoveries and explorations.