Ensino de Ecologia por investigação: laboratório vivo como propulsor da aprendizagem

Abstract

This study included an analysis of the process of teaching and learning in ecology teaching for research use by an educational space called living laboratory - a construction made up of plants, small animals and decomposers - with high school students. Teaching by research is a methodological approach of constructive character that allows the student to understand the collective and dynamic way of scientific literature, develop logical thinking, develop causal explanations and expand the investigative skills. Thus, to develop a teaching meaningful and contextualized ecology we used the approach to education research for this research. The research took place with students of the third year of high school of a State School in the city of Toledo, a city located in the western region of Paraná. We aimed to investigate the role of a teaching module guided in teaching research for teaching and learning in ecology. The research is qualitative type, where there is concern to understand in depth the complex relationships of a particular situation. We started the research with the implementation of the initial questionnaire for students in the class of 3rd year in order to verify which ecological concepts have been learned, perceived and understood during their school career and how did the learning process of these ecological concepts. At the end of the study the final questionnaire in order to evaluate which were the conceptual rupture occurred during the ecology of educational process research was applied. During the research was the recording of classes, in order to verify the perception and the construction of knowledge of the participants. Also portfolios and other materials produced during the teaching module were analyzed. In addition to field research, a literature review was carried out in books and journal articles with the aim of rescuing the discussions made by theorists on the subject. By studying these documents alongside established research data it was revealed that the ecology of education by research is a methodology that promotes teaching and learning. Data analysis showed that students have prior knowledge, but with great difficulty to relate them with scientific knowledge, needing the constant mediation of the teacher and the school for research facilitates interaction between teachers, students and teaching contents.