Study of the practical activities proposed by students of experimental science teaching in secondary education

Abstract

This educational research focused on studying the practical activities proposed by students in the experimental science teacher training program at a Teacher Training Institute (IFD) in Uruguay, within their pre-professional teaching practice groups at the secondary education level. The aim was to identify the model of science reflected in their proposals, the role of digital technologies, the guidance these students receive from their Didactics III professors, and the scientific competencies promoted through these activities. The research adopts a qualitative approach with a descriptive and exploratory scope. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted with students, and in-depth interviews were carried out with their Didactics III professors. The main findings reveal a limited presence of practical activities in the classroom proposals of student teachers, particularly in biology and physics. This is attributed to their initial disciplinary training during the pandemic and to the complex conditions of the institutions where they conducted their practice. Digital technologies are mainly used as vehicles to transmit resources created and/or selected by the student teachers, without leveraging their potential to foster creativity, information management, and critical inquiry. Finally, both the didactics professors and the student teachers value practical proposals as a stimulus for developing scientific competencies, especially those related to the generation and validation of scientific knowledge. However, they do not address competencies associated with the ethical and social evaluation of current scientific development.