Observation and Experimentation in Biology

Recommended Prerequisites

Without prerequisites.

Teaching Methods

The lectures, with the supervision of the teacher, include the search and selection of innovative laboratory and field practical activities for the teaching of Biology of the 3rd cycle of Basic and Secondary Education.

The practicals are planned, organized and implemented by the students, including the development of the didactic materials and preparation of the lab and field material, protocols and field guides, and instruments. The students have to analyse and evaluate their performance and of the colleagues, promoting the critical analysis, creativity and concern with scientific rigour.

Learning Outcomes

This unit is structured to focus on practical activities in the teaching of Biology. It is intended to provide students with the skills to plan, carry out and evaluate practical work, including laboratory work, fieldwork and experimental work under the syllabus of Biology in the 3rd cycle of Basic and Secondary Education.

The students should develop the following competencies:

1. Adapt the practical activities to the Biology teaching of the 3rd cycle of Basic and Secondary Education;

2. Know how to plan and organize practical activities, integrating and applying theoretical knowledge;

3. Know how to use the didactic materials and assessment processes in the organization and implementation of the activities.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Observation and experimentation concept in the teaching of Sciences.

Practical activities in the teaching and learning of Biology.

Typology of practical activities: paper and pencil, laboratorial, field and experimental.

The importance of the laboratory work, fieldwork and experimental work in the teaching and learning of Biology.

The Science museums and Botanical Gardens in Biology teaching and learning processes.

Practical activities in textbooks.

Planning, implementation and assessment of practical activities, mainly laboratorial work and fieldwork adequate to the Biology syllabus of the 3rd cycle of Basic and Secondary Education.

Building didactic materials and instruments applicable to Biology practical activities including protocols (laboratory work) and field guides (fieldwork).

Head Lecturer(s)

Catarina Schreck Carmo dos Reis

Assessment Methods

Assessement
Self- and hetero-evaluation: 5.0%
Participation and attendance in the activities.The students can discuss of the final versions of the written work during the exam periods.: 15.0%
Laboratory work or Field work: 80.0%

Bibliography

Abrahams,Millar 2008.Does practical work really work?A study of the effectiveness of practical work as a teaching and learning method in school science.Int J Science Education,30,1945-1968.Braund,Reiss 2004.Learning Science outside the classroom.Londres:Routledge.Dourado 2006.Concepções e práticas dos professores de Ciências Naturais relativas à implementação integrada do trabalho laboratorial e do trabalho de campo.Rev Electrónica Enseñanza de las Ciências,5.Leite 2002.As actividades laboratoriais e o desenvolvimento conceptual e metodológico dos alunos.Boletín das Ciências,51,83-92.Millar 2004.The role of practical work in the teaching and learning of Science.Washington:Academy of Sciences.Reece et al.2013.Campbell Biology.San Francisco:Benjamin Cummings.Practical work in Biology.Science Learning Centres.https://www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk/.Livros e revistas científicas de carácter metodológico e didático/Textbooks and methodological and didactic journals