Paulo Idalino Balça Varela

Why do shadows change length? An IBSE approach with primary school children

This paper results from a pedagogical intervention project carried out at a primary school. The intervention took place in a class of the 3rd year, composed by 16 students, and it incorporated a practice of Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE), addressing the curricular topic “Light and Shadows”. Various inquiry activities on some of the factors that might influence the length of shadows were implemented in the classroom, during a total of 10 hours, spread over 4 lessons. At the end of each lesson, a class diary was prepared – a descriptive and reflective narrative based on field notes and audio recordings made during participant observation in the context of the classroom. The aim of this paper is, through the analysis of one of those class diaries, to describe and interpret the teaching and learning process that took place in the classroom. The results of an assessment test show that the children acquired a good understanding on some of the factors that influence the length of shadows. We will also discuss some of the processes that stimulated the construction of this learning.

Investigating shadows. A pedagogical intervention project with primary school children

This communication results from a pedagogical intervention project, carried out at a primary school in the district of Braga - Portugal. The intervention took place in a class of the 3rd year, composed of 16 students, and it incorporated the practice of inquiry-based science teaching addressing the theme “Light Experiments”, which is part of the “Environmental Studies” curricular area. Various class activities were planned and implemented concerning some of the factors that influence the shadow of an object, in order to find answers to the following three questions: a) will 3rd year students, aged 7/8 years, be able to construct and execute an investigation strategy that involves manipulating and controlling variables? b) what are the main difficulties experienced by students in the designing and execution of such a strategy? c) how will students, in interaction with the teacher and with their peers, gradually design and execute their investigation strategy in order to respond to the problem formulated? The project adopted an action research methodology. A careful record was kept of the events most relevant to the questions under study in each class. This data was used to prepare the class diaries - descriptive and reflective narratives prepared based on recorded audio and field notes made during participant observation in the context of the classroom. A content analysis of the diaries has identified a few elements that provide answers to the research questions raised. In order to plan and implement a research project with children in the 7/8 years old range require a high level of scaffolding to allow students to gradually build a coherent strategy to tackle the research problem. Teachers role is crucial. The teacher, by questioning and inducing reasoning and discussion, promotes encourages and regulates the cognitive activity of students. Some level of autonomy should be given to the students in large group collaborative work.