Sequências de ensino investigativas: as perguntas do professor no ensino de ciências

Abstract

Science Inquiry-based Learning is an approach that aims to incorporate questioning, investigation, and problem-solving in the classroom. By utilizing this approach, it is possible to cultivate an investigative environment and foster the scientific process. The present study focuses on the research question: How can teachers’ questions in inquiry-based learning contribute to the inquiry-based teaching sequence in primary education? The overall objective is to identify the possibilities of the development of the inquiry-based teaching sequence and continuous professional development based on teachers’ questions in Primary Years. This research follows a qualitative and participant-oriented approach and was conducted in a private school located in the western part of Curitiba, PR. The five participants are teachers who teach Science at the same school. The primary methods of data collection included semistructured interviews, questionnaires, Inquiry-based Teaching Sequences developed by the participants at the end of the course, recordings of the meetings, and questions developed by the participants throughout the teacher education course. The data was analyzed using Discursive Textual Analysis, in an analysis of the research corpus, it was divided into three a priori categories. The first category is “Inquiry-based learning as a potential for learning”. As a result, three subcategories were identified: i) Inquiry-based learning and Inquiry-based Sequence Teaching: Possibilities in a Science education context; ii) Teachers’ conceptions and the levels of inquiry in an Inquiry-based learning context; and iii) Inquiry-based Teaching Sequences as a way of learning. The second category is “Permanent teacher education through a course: Some considerations,” and the third category is “Teachers’ question as a potential in the teaching process.” The results emphasize the importance of permanent teacher education courses that promote a connection between theory and practice. It was observed that Inquiry-based Learning can facilitate the development of scientific knowledge and the articulation of scientific ideas. By promoting this approach, experiencing both theory and practices helped the participants in developing Inquiry-based Teaching Sequences for primary years. These moments of permanent teacher education provided opportunities for reflection and understanding of the significance of Inquiry-based activities in Science classes. Through the presumed Inquiry-based learning, it was possible to grasp the importance of teachers’ questions as learning activators, promoting interaction between teachers and students and fostering learning.