Reflections on the Nature of Science and Human Ecology in Educational Practice: Perceptions of Brazilian High School Teachers from Public School

Abstract

This paper initially seeks to systematize the foremost arguments presented by different authors to justify the importance of considering aspects of the Natural Sciences in teaching activities. From this opening framework and based on responses obtained in the application of the VNOS-C questionnaire (Views of Nature of Science, Form C), as well as the use of semistructured interviews, reports have been acquired explaining teaching aspects about the nature of sciences in the context of Secondary School. More specifically, under the eyes of teachers in the field of Biology, Physics and Chemistry, outlining some trends and perspectives in the schooling practice of teachers of Natural Sciences, concerning the possibility that they consider in their teaching activities some of the aspects of the nature of sciences and Human Ecology. As main results of this study, we found that the concerns of teachers go beyond the perspective of teaching Science, Technology and Society, as their concerns extend to broader educational issues, such as continued progression, the decrease in the number of classes in Natural Sciences and the role of the school in society.