O interesse de professores pelo estudo da Biologia: manifestações atuais e memórias

Abstract

In this research, we seek lo understand the relationship between personal interests for the study of the different Biology themes and experiences in the learning of Science over the life of Biology and Science teachers. To this end, wc carried out theoretical and empirical studiesthat integrate qualitative and quantitative methods about; a) translation and adaptation of the Study Interest Questionnaire (SIQ) to the Interest for the Study of Biology fhemes Questionnaire (Questionário dc Interesse Pelo Estudo de Temas de Biologia - QlB fB) and the profile of current personal interests for the study of Biology themes; b) individual andsituational aspects in the reminded episodes on Science learning over the life; c) individual and situational structures in reminded episodes on Biology learning; d) correlation between the current personal interests for the study of Biology themes and the individual and situational structures in the reminded episodes on Biology learning over the life, 'fhe participants of the research currently work as Science and Biology teachers in elementary and high school, in public schools of various cities of Minas Gerais state (Brazil), fhe study themes of great interest for teachers are, in descending order: Ecology, Genetics/Evolution, Living Beings, Anatomy/Physiology and Cytology/Histology. The interest in the study of different Biology themes has got very similar distribution among Science and Biology teachers. The strong correlations between the interests indicate the existence of a general interest for the study of Biology that captures what it has in common to all interests and represents teachers' interest for the area of Biological Sciences. The questionnaire for the identification and measurement of personal interests for the Biology themes, used in this research, might be refined to be used in future in international comparative studies, fhe teachers' reminded episodes were analyzed, considering the personal affective-emotional aspects and the situational aspects related to time, place and characteristics of the learning environment. In the structure of the episodes, the dimensions called: Motivation, Selfefficacy,Ecology, Lack of Motivation and Embarrassment are identified, fhe importance of the activities developed in elementary school, which were reminded in the episodes, points to the need of improvement in the Science activities, at school early years. The correlations between the structures of the current interests and the individual and situational structures in the episodes are analyzed, in defined groups, taking into account the area of professional activity, gender and time of teaching. The strong correlations between personal interests for the study of Biology themes and Ecological dimension suggest great approach between scientific knowledge and life. Although the Ecology is, in the results of our research, a family dimension, it provides guidance for school interventions that might promote the origin and development of interests for the study of Biology curricula themes, fhe study of correlationshows a symmetrical relationship between the structures of the interests and the dimensions of the episodes, however it does not establish a How of causality, which might be further investigated in future, in an intra-individual longitudinal investigation.