Science textbooks for elementary school: chemical education and PNLD influences

Abstract

This work analyses experiments involving chemical transformations proposed in science textbooks for elementary school. The textbooks chosen were the 37 collections evaluated in Brazilian National Program of Textbooks (PNLD/2007) and used at the schools between 2007 and 2010. The analysis disclosed the presence of 403 proposals for activities, which were classified according to the degree of participation required of the students and its contributions to an elementary teaching of Chemistry. The results indicate a scanty presence of activities that require more than assembly of instrumental apparatus, observation/data collect and conclusions drawing up. Also, the most of textbooks do not integrates these activities to an elementary teaching of Chemistry, not deepening in the specificities of this science as grades advances. In spite of that, collections approved in PNLD/2007 (12 of 37) showed better results in both of aspects researched. Considering that this official program of textbooks has limitations, we stress the necessity of critical usage, by teachers, of such materials in classroom.