Papel de la actividad experimental en la educación científica

Resumo

Experimental activity is one of the most important factors in Science Education. Hence, research on this issue has been one of the most important lines of work in Science Education for some time now. We, therefore, welcome the recent publication of a monographic issue in Caderno Brasileiro de Ensino de Física (v. 21, Edição Especial, 2004), which includes more than 40 re-edited articles on experimental work in physics teaching that had been previously published in the same journal. We would like to take advantage of the opportunity this article provides to reflect on a series of problems related to this type of work that require further research. We are specifically referring to issues such as the following: What distorted views of scientific activity might experimental work commonly undertaken be transmitting through either action or omission? What image do practical works give of science-technology relationships in particular? What should the role of experimental work be in the learning of Science? How should practical works be re-orientated in order to stop them being used as mere recipes to be applied, as is too often the case? This paper seeks to make progress towards answering these questions in keeping with the model of Science Education as orientated research. A detailed example for upper high school is presented.