Abstract

MATA, Paulina; BETTENCOURT, Conceição; LINO, Maria José  and  PAIVA, Marília Sousa. Cientistas de palmo e meio: Uma brincadeira muito séria. Aná. Psicológica [online]. 2004, vol.22, n.1, pp.169-174. ISSN 0870-8231.

As in many other countries, the promotion of scientific culture has been a major concern in Portugal, particularly during the last decade. Our involvement with and participation in several projects that, in the past ten years, have aimed to introduce the experimental study of science and technology in pre-school and primary education has made it possible for us to discuss its meaning and relevance with a vast number of teachers, gain experience in this area and collect teachers' and pupils' opinions of and attitudes towards this particular way of teaching / learning science and technology. This experience is discussed in this article. Scientific culture must be present in schools and pupils must engage actively with it in order to become responsible, conscious and involved citizens, with adequate and relevant professional skills. Considering that compulsory education is only nine years long and that it is during this period that basic scientific knowledge is acquired, the experimental study of science and technology must begin as early as possible. The effective and generalized integration of the experimental study of science and technology in pre-school and primary education in Portugal is far from complete and it will only be achieved through the development of and investment in an extensive and thorough process of teacher training.

Keywords : Science literacy; primary science; experimental science teaching.

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