The Natural Sciences Curriculum of Public Network of São Paulo: Conceptions of Teachers Who Teach Natural Sciences in the Early Years of Primary School

Abstract

Science education objectives in Brazil have evolved over time. Initially, the focus was on creating scientifically literate citizens who could relate scientific concepts to their daily lives. In 2017, the São Paulo City Curriculum for Natural Sciences was introduced to teach students scientific literacy through inquiry-based teaching methods. This study focused on the perceptions of teachers from an primary school in São Paulo who participated by filling out a Google Forms questionnaire. The findings revealed that the majority of participating teachers had undergone curriculum implementation training. While they considered the organization of disciplinary content to be similar to their previous teaching methods, they struggled with implementing inquiry-based teaching strategies and linking scientific content to the United Nation Foundation 2030 sustainable development goals. Keywords: qualitative research, primary school, science curriculum, scientific literacy, teachers' conceptions