Atividades experimentais como recurso pedagógico ao Ensino de Ciências Naturais e Matemática

Abstract

This research was achieved with the aim to understand how the experimental activities are used by teachers of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Parallel to this, find answers to a concern about how these teachers use experimental activities in building concepts, as well as, how viewpoint they have about experimental activities. Its development took place through qualitative approach in order to detail the data collection. The techniques used were the interview, the questionnaire and the analysis of the annual plans, achieved with seven teachers who work with the subjects of Sciences, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics of the State School Nilza de Oliveira Pipino, in the city of Sinop/MT. The data analysed reveal that the use of experimental activities as a teaching strategy is pointed by teachers as one of the ways to minimize challenges to learning and teaching meaningfully. The theoretical framework is guided in meaningful learning by Novak, who shows a humanistic connotation, he considers an educational event – in this work called experimental activities – as an action to change meanings between the learner and the teacher, in which learners are beings who feel, think and act. The data show that teachers who work with the subjects of Natural Sciences and Mathematics achieve few experimental activities in their classes, showing that learners learn more when they achieve this type of approach. There are also reasons of resistance to these activities, such as lack of equipaments to achieve experimental activities; absence of collective work; lack of this type of approach in initial and continuous professional development courses; lack of appropriate environment; large classes; few lessons of the subject in the curriculum. This research reveals that the work with experimental activities provide to teachers create a context in which the practice could be seen as part of the way that Sciences track to make progress, encouraging learners to get a taste of research.