Initial and continuing education of pedagogues teaching science in the early years of elementary education

an analysis of the ENPEC proceedings

Abstract

This qualitative and bibliographic research aims to investigate whether and how the initial and continuing education of teachers — mostly pedagogues — who teach Science in the early years of elementary education was addressed in ENPEC articles between 2019 and 2023. The analysis focused on the training of these polyvalent professionals, responsible for teaching various areas of knowledge in Elementary School I. According to the current National Curriculum Guidelines for Pedagogy programs, these teachers should be prepared to act in an integrated way in the teaching and learning process. The results indicate that, although some studies advocate for curricular reforms in higher education to include specific subjects and expand investigative practices during initial training, these initiatives are still insufficient. On the other hand, continuing education was widely explored, standing out as essential to fill gaps and update teachers' pedagogical practices. Initial training still lacks more tangible and systematic proposals, highlighting the need for a more effective integration between initial and continuing education stages in order to overcome the challenges of Science teaching in the early years of elementary school.