The resource to Investigative and Experimental Work: perceptions of science teachers

Abstract

This article aims at researching the perceptions that Portuguese teachers have about using Investigative Experimental Work (IEW) and Problem Solving (PS), which has as its main objectives: I) understanding the motivations that mobilize teachers to use these strategies; and ii) identify the advantages, that are associated to them. The research was qualitative in nature and involved six Natural Sciences teachers, who teach 2nd and 3rd cycles of basic education in three schools in the municipality of Porto, who agreed to participate in a semi-structured interview, conducted in schools where they teach. Data analysis established that teachers value the use of EW and PS, considering them to be strategies that make the classes more interactive and stimulating for students' and result in better learning. They also recognize that these strategies constitute didactic opportunities for investigation and that real life problem solving can promote autonomous learning.