No abstract

Resumen:En la primera parte del artículo, se expone el diseño de una propuesta didáctica dirigida a maestros en formación del Grado de Educación Primaria desde un enfoque por indagación, a partir del análisis de los objetivos y las competencias que aparecen recogidos en los libros de texto de Educación Primaria, concretamente para el área de conocimiento del medio natural, social y cultural. Todo ello con el fin de que estos futuros docentes tomen conciencia de la importancia del saber analizar y valorar críticamente los distintos materiales didácticos usados en el aula, y en consecuencia, sean capaces de proponer alternativas o mejoras didácticas sobre estos manuales educativos. En la segunda parte se expone, a modo de reflexión, los obstáculos y dificultades halladas tras su implementación de la propuesta didáctica con la finalidad de proponer mejoras al diseño realizado y posibles oportunidades didácticas que dicha propuesta puede ofrecer. Abstract:First, it shows the design of an educational proposal addressed primary teacher training from an inquiry-based learning approach. For that, it is analyzed science primary textbooks their targets and competencies. In order to be aware these future primary teachers the important of being able to analyze and critically evaluate different teaching resources used in the classroom. As a consequence, they will be able to propose alternatives or educational improvements on these educational resources. Second, it is exposed, as a reflection, obstacles and difficulties encountered after implementation of the educational proposal in order to propose improvements to the design and make possible educational opportunities that this proposal can offer.

Basic science process skills (SPSs) constitute a key dimension of the scientific competence that should be developed from an early age. Therefore, preservice elementary teachers (PETs) who are preparing to teach science should have a sufficient mastery about it. This study presents a questionnaire that allows gradual levels of performance in SPSs to be established, in particular with regard to formulating questions and hypotheses, identifying variables, measurement, planning an inquiry, and interpreting data. The questionnaire was validated in three phases -the first during its design, with the external collaboration of a panel of experts, the second by piloting of a draft versions of the questionnaire on a small sample of PETs, and the third by applying the questionnaire to a sample of 435 PETs. Analysis of the collected data indicated that these were acceptably reliable, and the content and construct validity of the questionnaire was also verified. They also revealed the PETs' generally deficient levels of SPSs. This was especially so regarding identifying suitable questions for school inquiry, understanding precision in measurement, and interpreting data in a table. There was further support for the validity of the questionnaire and the reliability of the outcomes in that it corroborated other results in the literature on the subject that were obtained with different tools and methods.