EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND INQUIRY-BASED SCIENCE TEACHING: THE PRAXIS OF EDUCATORS IN THE PERNAMBUCO SEMIARID REGION

Abstract

Pedagogy degree programs often present conceptual gaps in Science Education, creating theoretical insecurity for teaching in the early years of Elementary School. This qualitative, critical-interpretative study investigated how nine female pedagogues from the Agreste region of Pernambuco mobilize their knowledge to address these deficiencies, using narrative interviews triangulated with lesson plans and analyzed through Discursive Textual Analysis. The results reveal that, in the absence of structured laboratories and resources, the teachers develop "wall-free laboratories," transforming the ecological features of the semi-arid region and local water issues into generative problems for scientific inquiry. Furthermore, informal collaboration and the sharing of experiential knowledge act as the primary spaces for practical continuing education to overcome initial training gaps. We conclude that this experiential knowledge operates as a channel for pedagogical resistance. It not only bypasses infrastructural limitations but also consolidates contextualized and emancipatory scientific literacy, proving the viability of inquiry-based science education even under adverse material conditions in the Brazilian Northeast hinterland.