The development of scientific inquiry-based processes to the first year of elementary school

Author(s)

Tatiana Schneider Vieira de Moraes

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Educação (FE/SBD)
• Defense date: 2015-04-13

Examining board members

Anna Maria Pessoa de Carvalho; Tizuko Morchida Kishimoto; Danusa Munford; Viviane Briccia do Nascimento; Rosana Louro Ferreira Silva

• Advisor: Anna Maria Pessoa de Carvalho

Abstract

The present paper was developed with the premise that, since the early years in school, the students need to be involved in scientific inquiry-based processes. With the insertion of 6-year-old children in the Elementary School, a series of inquiries related to Science teaching came up, among which emerges the central question in this research: \"Is it possible to check the engagement of 6-year-old children in scientific inquiry-based processes?\". With essentially qualitative focus and case study perspective, an Inquiry-Based Teaching Sequence (IBTS) was structured to the students this age who belong to a school in Ribeirão Preto, in São Paulo state. The activities that make up the IBTS were divided in three moments: preinquiry, inquiry and postinquiry. Focusing in the learning process and in the meaning of concepts, the sequence had the intention to check some skills associated with the scientific doing. For this, oral discussions were analysed, starting with the recordings of the classes and the speech\'s transcription, as well as the students\' graphic representations which then made up three data sources: videos, speech and drawings. These data were examined based on categories related to the scientific inquiry-based process and the knowledge of the studied living being. Through the watching of a complete life cycle, the students experienced real opportunities to make hypothesis, test their ideas, handle materials, collect data, handle charts and graphics, and register information, as well as articulate, evaluate and review their growth models and living beings development. The drawings made by the students could communicate the performed activities, concerning both to the studied living being and to the materials used in the inquiry-based process. The skills used by the students in their oral communications or graphic representations are necessary tools to the engagement with the scientific culture. Therefore, it is believed that the scientific discussions, in the classroom context, have direct implication with the ST and must be encouraged since the early years in Science teaching, leading to the building of new concepts and scientific tools and also the growing engagement of the students in Scientific Literacy processes. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/05612-9 - The development of scientific inquiry-based processes to the first year of elementary school
• Grantee: Tatiana Schneider Vieira de Moraes
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)