Construindo investigações em aulas de Cências: práticas, modos de comunicação e relações temporais nos três primeiros anos do ensino fundamental

Abstract

This research aims to investigate how a teacher and students of a federal public school construct investigations using different modes of communication in science classes, during the first three years of elementary education. First, we present a literature review that shows the main perspectives, challenges and possibilities of scientific education for children. Specifically, we focus on aspects of the national context that have not been thoroughly explored in the research field, like the introduction of children in inquiry practices. This study is part of a larger project that followed the same group over the first three years of elementary school. We describe and we characterize the context and the selection of participants for this investigation. The theoretical methodological approach is based on elements from ethnographic perspective in education. These elements are informed by Interactional Sociolinguistics and Microethnographic Discourse Analysis tools. We also rely on Social Semiotic Multimodal Theory. The construction of data involved participant observation, video records, fieldnotes and collection of artifacts produced by the study participants. The analytical process comprises macroscopic analysis of data, with the construction of tables, timelines and event maps. Considering this scenario, we identified some events for detailed analysis, based on the presence of aspects related to inquiry practices and the use of semiotic modes. After the Telling case construction, we also performed forward mapping guided by the process of collective remembering toward the following two years. At the level of microscopic analysis, we used contextual clues to elaborate transcriptions in message units as well as descriptive and analytical tables. Our results and analysis are organized in three interconnected axes: i) The construction of inquiry practices; ii) Intertextual and intercontextual relations, collective memories and chronotope of the classroom in the construction of inquiry practices using different modes of communication; iii) Use of different semiotic modes in the construction of inquiry practices over time. The first axis shows the recurrence, transformation and diversification of inquiry practices considering their appropriation and incorporation into group´s culture. In regard to the second axis, we highlight the role of temporal relationships that helped to contextualize, to guide actions and to support relevant discussions, providing an interpretative framework for the group to engage in new inquiry practices. The third axis reaffirms the multimodal nature of inquiry practices, showing how the orchestrated use of semiotic modes contributed to the introduction of children to the ways of thinking, speaking and representing scientific knowledge. In our discussion, we point out that our work corroborates the importance for children to develop scientific understandings and inquiry practices over time when guided with competent instruction. We also offer original contributions by focusing on the multimodal character of interactions as well as temporal relations as objects of analysis. In the closing remarks, we reflect on implications of results for educational research, public policies, pedagogical practice, besides pointing out future research perspectives.