DEVELOPING INVESTIGATIVE SKILLS ADDRESSING THE THEME OF COASTAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Abstract

In the school and professional environment, science education is essential in the development of the investigative profile to train professionals with aptitude for scientific research. In this work, the benefits of implementing investigative activities using active, experimental and practical methodologies addressing topics related to coastal zones, environmental problems and science teaching were analyzed. The research was developed based on activities of the Researcher's Learning Center (CAP) of the Center for Training and Research in the Environment (CEPEMA/USP), which offers a space in which students can experiment with this methodology and investigate different problem-situations. The objective of this research was to verify whether the performance of activities in the CAP brings benefits to the development of investigative skills addressing guiding themes related to coastal environmental problems. Data were obtained through opinion/perception questionnaires and statistically analyzed. The results revealed how the implemented activities stimulated the students' interest in the proposed themes and the development of investigative skills. Although new academic studies are needed to deepen the knowledge on the subject, the methodology applied in this research obtained an index of 0.75 in Crombach's alpha coefficient. This demonstrates that the data obtained in the opinion questionnaire answered by the students after the activity were representative for the scope of the research. This observed success points to the possibility of innovation in the way of evaluating teaching, which can be replicated for other educational institutions.