Constatações a respeito da perspectiva CTSA na formação inicial de professores de química

Abstract

Teachers' initial formation has been the object of debate, discussions and research within the Brazilian educational context. The latest changes related to the implementation of LDBEN and National Curriculum Guidelines for Teachers' Formation are underscored. The above-mentioned documents demonstrate the importance of basic education that provides the subjects an access to scientific knowledge and the exercise of citizenship. The authors hold that this formation may be reached through CTSA approach. Current research investigates whether the Chemistry undergraduate course of the State University of Maringá, Maringá PR Brazil, provides a theoretical CTSA-perspective foregrounding. Eleven undergraduates of the course's fourth period participated in the questionnaires and in the development of a thematic workshop, called "Internal Combustion Engines," focused on CTSA. Participants' responses from questionnaires and discourses during the pedagogical intervention revealed their concepts with regard to Science, Technology, Environment Science and perspective to CTSA teaching. In fact, CTSA perspective has been actually discussed within the Chemistry course, albeit in a very precarious way, with greater emphasis on pedagogical disciplines. Results show that most undergraduates revealed a scanty comprehension of such approach to teaching with certain difficulties in establishing CTSA relationships in the development of knowledge on Chemistry. This teaching perspective will be dealt with greater relevance in undergraduate courses when a large number of teachers linked to these courses actually understand its true importance for teachers' formation.