Inquiry-Based Science Teaching and the Development of Teaching Knowledge in Amazonia

Abstract

Background: In the face of investigations on how Amazonia is presented in textbooks (TBs), it is clear that there is a limitation in approaching this topic, as it is loaded with stereotypes disregarding socio-environmental issues. Objectives: To understand how teaching knowledge is mobilised by teachers from a formative activity centred on investigative teaching sequences in the Amazonian context. Design: With this in mind, we started with an action research. Setting and Participants: It took place in a municipal school in Ananindeu/PA, with the participation of all teachers who worked in the initial years of elementary school of this institution, a total of five teachers, aged between 28 and 49 years. They are the only members of the teaching staff serving the eight classes at the school, in the morning and afternoon shifts, all with a background in pedagogy and at least one specialisation. Data collection and analysis: We used semi-structured collective interviews, recorded in audio and video, which were later transcribed and analysed through content analysis, carried out in three stages: 1 - Pre-analysis, 2 - Exploration of the material and 3 – Treatment of results and interpretation, based on the theoretical framework adopted in the investigation Results: We understand the mobilisation of teaching knowledge in the construction of Investigative Teaching Sequences (ITSs) aimed at the Amazon context, as a viable alternative, since textbooks disregard the reality of Amazonia, making it invisible throughout its entirety complexity. Conclusions: In this sense, the proposition of inquiry-based science teaching through ITSs focused on the Amazonian context favours overcoming this regional neglect. Therefore, teachers and students can start with an investigative process that takes into account relevant and significant themes for both.