Inquiry-based Teaching in curriculum documents: a comparative study between Brazil and Portugal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22600/1518-8795.ienci/2026v31n3p575Keywords:
Inquiry-based Teaching, Science Teaching, Essential Learnings, Comparative Analysis, National Common Curricular BaseAbstract
This study is part of a broader investigation into teacher training in Portugal and Brazil and aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the curricular documents of the two countries, seeking to identify and analyze the presence of elements of Inquiry-Based Teaching. Methodologically, documentary and content analysis were adopted, organized into two analytical units: (1) structural elements of inquiry-based teaching and (2) aspects related to the inquiry-based approach. The normative documents of the Essential Learnings for the 7th, 8th, and 9th years of Portuguese basic education and the Brazilian National Common Curricular Base for the same age group were examined. The results indicate that the principles of Inquiry-Based Teaching are present in both curricula, although with different forms of operationalization. The Portuguese curriculum presents greater detail and systematization of the investigative stages, emphasizing planning, control of variables, data recording, and the construction of scientific explanations. The Brazilian curriculum, on the other hand, prioritizes broader investigative competencies, such as scientific curiosity, evidence-based argumentation, critical thinking, and problem-solving, with less methodological explicitness. Despite the differences, both value scientific argumentation, the use of evidence, and the social contextualization of knowledge. However, a common gap is observed in the explicit formulation and testing of hypotheses, highlighting the need for greater curricular clarity, teacher training, and pedagogical guidelines that favor the implementation of Inquiry-based Teaching.References
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