The Development of Science Education Research in Brazil and Contributions from the History and Philosophy of Science

Over the last 50 years a new research area, science education research, has arisen and undergone singular development worldwide. In the specific case of Brazil, research in science education first appeared systematically 40 years ago, as a consequence of an overall renovation in the field of science education. This evolution was also related to the political events taking place in the country. We will use the theoretical work of Rene Kaes on the development of groups and institutions as a basis for our discussion of the most important aspects that have helped the area of science education research develop into an institution and kept it operating as such. The growth of this area of research can be divided into three phases: The first was related to its beginning and early configurations; the second consisted of a process of consolidation of this institution; and the third consists of more recent developments, characterised by a multiplicity of research lines and corresponding challenges to be faced. In particular, we will analyse the special contributions to this study gleaned from the field known as the history and philosophy of science.

Colaboração universidade-escola: contribuições para o desenvolvimento profissional de professores de matemática

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Ocorrência de artigos em periódicos científicos a respeito da formação continuada de professores de educação infantil para a atuação com crianças com deficiência

The professional development of teachers to work with children with disabilities is a recurring theme in the literature, as it is one of the keys to effective educational inclusion. However, studies carried out so far have mainly focused on training elementary school teachers. Given this context, this study sought to investigate: the occurrence of articles whose main objective is professional development for teachers of early childhood education to work with children with disabilities; and the methodology used in the professional development programs assessed by those papers. Articles published from 1990 to 2012, in the following journals, were analyzed: Educação e Pesquisa (USP), Revista Psicologia Escolar e Educacional, Pro-Posições (Unicamp), Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial e Revista Educação Especial (UFSM). After selecting the journals, the titles of all articles published within the period considered were read. Articles deemed relevant articles were read in full, and analyzed, according to the purposes of this research. The results indicated that within the period considered, and based on the journals chosen for investigation, there were no specific articles on the subject directly, although there have been articles that touch on the issue. This literature review emphasizes the importance of expanding research on the subject, in order to widen knowledge in the area, especially knowledge aimed at contributing to early childhood education and the professional development of its teachers.

Potencialidades das narrativas para a formação inicial de professores que ensinam matemática

Pós-graduação em Educação Matemática - IGCE

Biology Teachers'Conceptions of the Diversity of Life and the Historical Development of Evolutionary Concepts

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Pedagogical practices carried out during an in-service teachers education project: approaching history and philosophy of science to physics teaching

We report here part of a research project developed by the Science Education Research Group, titled: "Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices and formative processes in Science and Mathematics Education" which main goal is the development of coordinated research that can generate a set of subsidies for a reflection on the processes of teacher training in Sciences and Mathematics Education. One of the objectives was to develop continuing education activities with Physics teachers, using the History and Philosophy of Science as conductors of the discussions and focus of teaching experiences carried out by them in the classroom. From data collected through a survey among local Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics teachers in Bauru, a São Paulo State city, we developed a continuing education proposal titled “The History and Philosophy of Science in the Physics teachers’ pedagogical practice”, lasting 40 hours of lessons. We followed the performance of five teachers who participated in activities during the 2008 first semester and were teaching Physics at High School level. They designed proposals for short courses, taking into consideration aspects of History and Philosophy of Science and students’ alternative conceptions. Short courses were applied in real classrooms situations and accompanied by reflection meetings. This is a qualitative research, and treatment of data collected was based on content analysis, according to Bardin [1].