THE NATURE OF LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS IN THE 8TH GRADE TEXTBOOKS OF PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY

The laboratory investigations designed within the scope of school science are the most suitable activities to promote the learning of scientific processes and to develop inquiry/research abilities. However, these can also contribute to the learning of substantive knowledge. It is within the scope of this theoretical framework that is proceeded the content analysis of the nature and openness degree of this activities in the eight Portuguese 8th grade textbooks of Physics and Chemistry. In this set, 22 laboratory investigations were identified. The relevance given to this type of lab activities is limited in most textbooks, given the fact that they are reduced in number. It is possible to verify that the development of the inquiry/research abilities is not their main role, as they are mainly focused on the (re)construction of the substantive knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to reconfigure the laboratory activities, by increasing the number of investigations and promoting intentionally and explicitly the learning of scientific processes, in a way similar to a scientific methodology.