M. Gabriela T. C. Ribeiro, Innovation and diversity: a model to promote science in primary schools, The Association for Science Education Annual Meeting, U. Reading, UK, 1999.
1999-01-01

Autores:
M. Gabriela T. C. Ribeiro

Instituições:
REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto

Resumo:
This paper aims at presenting an organisational model we believe is able to promote innovative practices amongst the different intervening agents in the science learning and teaching process – pupils, teachers and scientists. In this paper we refer to primary pupils and primary teachers. Teacher training includes two phases. First phase - teachers develop some experimental activities able to foster self-reflection on their own knowledge as well as on the way they develop their own learning. Second phase – teachers develop together with pupils in the classroom those activities they have already developed during their own training. This homologous learning process (pupils learning, this time) fosters a self-reflection on the teacher’s educational practices as well as on the pupils learning processes. The scientist’s involvement in these joint experiences shall trigger their self-reflection on different levels of knowledge appropriation and on the transdisciplinarity of educational practice. Teacher training is supported by didactic materials – portfolios –, which support the development of experimental activities both for pupils and teachers. These materials were developed in the classroom during action research processes.