Science Teaching as a Social Practice in the Minas Gerais Reference Curriculum: An Analysis of the Science and Technology Unit
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28976/1984-2686rbpec2025u321350Keywords:
official curriculum, guidelines for teaching Science, scientific knowledge domains, basic educationAbstract
The Minas Gerais Reference Curriculum (CRMG) reinforces guidelines from the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) that emphasize recognizing science as social knowledge. This raises questions about whether and how a curriculum derived from the BNCC can effectively promote science teaching as a social practice. To address this question, we identified and characterized the conceptual, epistemic, social, and material domains of scientific knowledge within the skills proposed for the Science and Technology Thematic Unit included in the CRMG to promote understanding of the nature of science and its modes of production. This qualitative research begins with the categorizing skills using an analytical rubric based on established references regarding knowledge domains. Subsequently, we describe how these skills foster an understanding of science as a social practice. The results reveal a prevalence of the conceptual domain over the others and a lack of integration between domains. Consequently, the unit's design falls short of its intended objective. As an implication of this study, we argue that fostering student engagement with investigative processes in science education necessitates the integration of these domains within the learning expectations outlined in official curricula. This contrasts with the creation of units focused solely on understanding scientific activity, reinforcing a conception of practice as a mere concept and the unicity of sciences.
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