Aspectos metodológicos das teses e dissertações de ensino de ciências nos programas precursores do Paraná.

Abstract

The number of researches focused on Science Education grows along with the development of Science and Mathematics educational areas. Thus, it is important to analyze how these studies are developed in relation to the methodological approaches. In this context, our main objective is to understand the research in Science Teaching in relation to research methodologies used in thesis and dissertations produced in former Stricto Sensu graduate programs referring to the Teaching area (46) in Paraná. We focused on the following questions: Is it possible to verify the methodological approaches that are used in Science Teaching in the former Stricto Sensu graduate programs in the state of Paraná? Is the establishment of methodological approaches a concern of researchers of this area? Lastly, is it possible to demonstrate the gaps, evolutions and developments regarding the research methodologies in the area based on a survey of the state of knowledge? Our research was based on qualitative and quantitative data and bibliographic approach. We used a software and a form for the analysis of the thesis and dissertations available in the state's graduate programs. Our main results indicate the predominance of a qualitative approach researches. In these studies, the main techniques and instruments of data sampling were documents, interviews, forms and observations. The research methodologies that presented the greater expression were content analysis and discursive textual analysis, as well as the methodological plurality regarding the way of analyzing the data. The context and main subjects of these researches are related to high school and college students, documents and textbooks, teachers, public schools and universities. Our results were stimulating in several aspects related to the amount of data and specific characteristics of each dissertation and thesis analyzed. However, we consider that our study brings unique data, especially related to the two former graduate programs in the state of Paraná. The importance of our research is highlighted as an initial step, motivating and pioneer of new researches that have as object of study the Teaching Area in Paraná. Furthermore, we point out the importance to consider the methodological aspects in order to understand in which historical, philosophical and epistemological contexts researches of this area are conducted. The knowledge regarding the formation of researchers in the state of Paraná is relevant in the conception of what we are studying and the desires that drive us in the scientific community. These findings represent a starting point in the structure of the identity of the Teaching area