Didactic innovations and the concept of nature: Collaborative research and the professional development of teachers

Abstract

Using qualitative and collaborative research, this article reflects on the professional development of high school teachers in the context of activities of an interdisciplinary group of collaborative research that studies and promotes didactic innovations, focusing on the environmental context, and discusses the contribution of research with teachers in the generation of a scientific culture. The research project involves teachers of different curricular components (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Geography and History) and researchers from universities in the areas of Education and Teaching of Earth Sciences. For data collection, three focal groups were formed with the group participants. Changes in the concept of Nature among the teachers and changes in teaching topics focused on the understanding of nature were identified. The article concludes that the construction of didactic innovations helps teachers to make decisions about what, how and why to teach subjects that relate nature to society.

Key words: professional development, collaborative research, didactic innovation, teaching of Earth Sciences.