THE USE OF EXPERIMENTATION IN BIOLOGY TEACHING: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LABORATORY PRACTICES IN TWO STATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MANACAPURU–AM

Abstract

This article presents the main results of a master's research in Education Sciences, whose central objective was to describe the development of pedagogical practices related to laboratory experimentation in Biology teaching in two state public high schools located in the municipality of Manacapuru, Amazonas, Brazil. This is a descriptive study with a qualitative and quantitative approach, which adopted documentary research and survey as technical procedures. The instrument was applied through questionnaires to 99 students, corresponding to the total student population of the investigated schools, and to 15 teachers. The participating teachers hold degrees in their area of expertise and have between 6 and 20 years of teaching experience. The results show that practical laboratory classes are essential for students’ learning, as they enable hands-on experiences related to their future professional careers, contributing to a broader and more meaningful education and to the development of their potential.