Representations of “laboratory activity”, “experimental activity” and “practical activity” constructed by master’s degree students

Abstract

This work aims to identify and analyze how the terms "laboratory activity", "experimental activity" and "practical activity" are differentiated by a group of 26 students of a master's degree course in science education. The research is justified by the recognized polysemy of the terms and the centrality of these activities for science education in school. The thematic content analysis of Bardin was used as a methodology to fulfill the research objectives. The master students’ answers to a diagnostic questionnaire were classified in four categories: "undifferentiated"; "local of the activity"; "student role" and "scientific level". In general, master students’ do not use abstract criteria, theoretical or related to the nature of scientific knowledge, to differentiate the terms. The focus of the statements were, overall, the aspects of the pedagogic practice. The result indicates the need for closer dialogue between research and teaching.