Formação continuada de professores: uma intervenção crítica nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental por meio do ensino por investigação

Abstract

This research analyzes continuing teacher education as a strategy for implementing Inquiry-Based Science Teaching (IBST) in the early years of Elementary Education in the municipal school system of Rubiataba (GO), Brazil, articulated with the generative theme of selective waste collection. The study is grounded on an initial diagnosis that revealed a gap between teachers' theoretical knowledge and their classroom practices: although 85.7% reported being familiar with IBST, only 36.8% applied it systematically, due to factors such as generalist initial training, lack of pedagogical resources, and curricular pressures arising from large-scale assessments. Methodologically, it is characterized as a qualitative study of an applied nature, initially involving 22 teachers from the early years of Elementary Education, of whom 20 completed the formative process. Data were produced through questionnaires, lesson plan analysis, participant observation, focus group discussions, and monitoring of the implementation of Investigative Teaching Sequences (ITSs), developed within a hybrid continuing education program. The results indicate not only teacher engagement, but also a process of gradual approximation with investigative pedagogical practices, marked by an increased use of investigative questions, greater intentionality in problematizing scientific content, and the initial incorporation of argumentative practices in classroom activities. These changes occurred in a non-linear and context-dependent manner, marked by tensions, structural constraints, and methodological insecurities, evidencing that changes in teaching practice are processual and situated rather than immediate. As an outcome of the research, an educational product was developed and validated in a real teaching context, consisting of a structured continuing education course and a pedagogical guide based on ITSs, implemented by the participating teachers. Validation was achieved through classroom application, systematic monitoring of teaching practices, and analysis of impacts on instructional organization and student engagement. From an educational perspective, the study contributes to strengthening inquiry-based teaching practices and expanding teachers' understanding of IBST and its articulation with Scientific Literacy. From a social perspective, it highlights the potential of connecting science education with local realities, particularly by integrating selective waste collection as an integrating axis between scientific knowledge, environmental education, and citizenship formation. It is concluded that continuing education, when contextualized, dialogical, and articulated with concrete pedagogical tools, constitutes a fundamental strategy for implementing IBST in school contexts with structural limitations, contributing to the consolidation of more critical, inquiry-oriented, and socially relevant pedagogical practices