Chemistry education: the relevance of innovative pedagogical practices in the early years

Consensus exists among researchers and academics that science education, including chemistry education, is fundamental to the development of modern societies. Thus, investment becomes essential, from early years, in the education of informed citizens, prepared with scientific literacy competences and able to pursue an active, participative and responsible citizenship. In this context, school plays a major role and should provide chemistry education for all children. As such, it is necessary that teachers are able to meet this need and ensure the implementation of innovative practices, which, according to current guidelines, should be based in investigative activities of practical and experimental nature with a science-technology-society orientation, whose scientific contents are closely related to certain social phenomena (economics, politics and environment) and that meet the interests of children by helping them to explain and interpret the world around them. In this paper, we aim to present a review on the current guidelines for education in chemistry in the early years, that is, in pre-school and primary school, by applying a methodology based on practical and experimental work.

Chemistry education: the relevance of innovative pedagogical practices in the early years Conference Paper