The investigative activities and epistemic practices in science teaching

Abstract

Research in science education increasingly seeksto promote knowledge about the Nature of Scienceby the students. Inquiry activities arise as a device that can be used for the students to acquire this knowledge. However, to achieve such knowledge through inquiry activities, students should develop epistemic practices, which areinvolved on the construction and justification of knowledge. Thus, this article aims to analyze how the investigative activities may foster the emergence and development of epistemic practices by students, through an analysis of two different activities in different classes at the Colégio de Aplicação of UFS. The data obtained from the qualitative and the quantitative analyze, was used to verify the similarities and differences between the practices that emerged in each activity, and sharpen students' learning from the activities of investigative nature.