Investigative experimentation in teacher training of natural sciences: the importance of university extension

Abstract

Investigative experimentation can promote science teaching and learning. University extension projects have stood out as favorable spaces for this practice. This study aims to understand how graduates from a degree course in natural sciences perceive the contribution of university extension in promoting investigative experiments. The research was qualitative and used a questionnaire as a data collection tool involving the participation of ten graduates of the course. The data was analyzed using discursive textual analysis and it was organized into three categories. Although the undergraduate classes favored experiments, the results indicated that the investigative approach was more present in those carried out in the extension project.