Teacher Didactic Content Knowledge and its relation with the utilization of practical activities in chemistry classes: A study with expert teachers of the Angolan educational system

Abstract

This study was developed within the Angolan educational system, with chemistry expert teachers who teach the 7th grade (12 years old). Aiming to characterize the didactic content knowledge and relate it with the quality of teaching and with the development of practical activities that ensure the active participation of students in the construction of knowledge, we observed and analyzed the classes of a group of expert teachers, specifically in the content of chemical reactions and chemical equations. In a quasi-experimental design methodology, the used technique was the observation from the capture of images in the classes. An element we paid particular attention in the analysis of the classes was the implementation of strategies that involve practical activities, since the didactic research has amply demonstrated that they are likely to generate active learning in science education, with particular emphasis in chemistry. The results revealed that the expert teachers often use practical activities in their classrooms, using group work procedures, work front and questions oral and written.