As especificidades das sequências de ensino investigativo com conhecimentos biológicos nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental

Abstract

Science education in the early years of elementary school plays an important role in the development of active and critical citizens, awakening interest and curiosity in natural phenomena and the environment that surrounds them. Within the broad spectrum of sciences, biological knowledge stands out for its ability to foster essential skills in students, such as observation, questioning and investigation, due to its specificities. In this sense, we understand that working with biological knowledge from the early years is essential for students to develop scientific knowledge and observation and questioning skills about the world. One of the possibilities for including these characteristics is to adopt the Science Teaching by Inquiry (EnCI) approach through Investigative Teaching Sequences (SEI) during classes, placing the student as the main part of the teaching process. In view of this, it becomes essential to understand the particularities of the biological knowledge present in these sequences. In this context, we hypothesize that biological knowledge in the early years of elementary school has specificities that influence the investigative approach and the development of SEI for this level of education. The central problem of this research is: what are the specificities of SEI for the early years of elementary school when they explore biological knowledge? Based on this, we aim to analyze the characteristics of SEI for the early years of elementary school that explore biological knowledge and their specificities. To this end, we adopted a qualitative research approach, divided into two stages. In the first, we conducted a bibliographical research, in which eight SEI were identified, based on a systematic literature review. At the same time, we conducted a continuing education course for teachers, in which participants produced two SEI focusing on biological knowledge. These sequences were also included in the analysis. During the course meetings, data were collected through logbooks, questionnaires and audiovisual recordings and, later, analyzed through the content analysis technique, according to Bardin. Our analysis was also divided into two parts. First, we identified how investigative activities are inserted in SEI. The activities were grouped into four categories: Interaction and group work, Practical Experience and Observation, Representation and Organization of Knowledge, and Reflection and Evaluation. We identified that SEI encourage collaboration among students, the use of experimental practices, recording of information, reading, handling of materials, the systematization of acquired knowledge, and critical reflection on the work developed. In the second part of the analysis, a detailed investigation of the specificities of biological knowledge present in SEI was carried out. The sequences were analyzed according to the characteristics of biology, considering the studies of Mayr (1998). This analysis allowed us to identify how these specificities influence the way biological content is worked, highlighting the importance of adapting pedagogical practices to reflect the dynamics and particularity of biological processes. We believe that SEI have great potential to promote scientific literacy in students. However, the study also identified gaps, such as the scarcity of sequences that discuss biological knowledge, as well as the need for teacher training. Future research can explore ways to expand the production of SEI in biology and evaluate the contributions of these sequences in the development of students' scientific skills over time.