La perspectiva fenomenológica en la actividad experimenta l: aportes al cambio didáctico de profesores de ciencias naturales-Física

Abstract

This paper presents a characterization of changes in teachers' practical knowledge based on a mentoring process in each teacher's particular context. It focuses on reflection on science teaching, particularly on the phenomenological perspective as an alternative for understanding experimental activities. Science teaching is seen as an autonomous discipline supported by multiple types of knowledge, including metatheoretical reflections on the nature of science. Several lines of reflection are presented, from the internal logic of science to socio-scientific considerations from the perspectives of science, technology, and society. However, these studies do not address an extensive analysis of the role of experimentation in science and science education. Despite these contributions, it is clear that science education still presents distorted views of scientific culture in general. It is assumed that a great deal of responsibility lies with teachers' conceptions and attitudes toward scientific knowledge and science teaching itself, which impacts the ways in which teachers act and the discourses they bring to the classroom—that is, their practical knowledge. Based on these two scenarios, the phenomenological perspective is proposed as an option for reflecting on school knowledge, with the construction of a classroom phenomenon and the understanding of natural events. The phenomenological perspective is understood as an option for understanding the construction of knowledge. It is assumed that individuals understand the world through their experiences, have ways of perceiving and understanding it based on what they have experienced and shaped, and thus have different options for relating, expressing, and acting within it. Extrapolating these ideas to science education, the perspective is presented on two levels. The first is where the teacher, through his or her actions, shapes a particular classroom phenomenon. The second, where subjects in general can learn about the world through experimental activities, defines the subject-object relationship that configures natural events, characterizes qualities, and proposes relationships between variables that lead to the configuration of natural phenomena. This is expressed through different forms of formalization, including argumentation, modeling, and concretization, among others. With this in mind, it was decided to implement a support plan focused on the teacher's particular context, taking into account their historical context and situated knowledge. Therefore, a qualitative methodology within the constructivist paradigm was chosen, as it considers the subjects and particular scenarios, where the researcher and the participating teachers jointly construct and modify the research. Due to the situated work, which focuses on reflection on teacher practice and the phenomenological perspective in understanding experimental activities, a case study is proposed. This is carried out with two practicing physics teachers affiliated with the Bogotá Department of Education. The work with the teachers is proposed through Participatory Action Research, where three support cycles are developed. Cycle one: recognizing our classroom context. Cycle two: our ideal classroom, shaping our classroom phenomenon. Cycle three: experiencing the phenomenon. Additionally, teachers' ideas are recognized in a diagnostic and final stage. This process is carried out over an entire academic year with each teacher. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and a classroom observation matrix are used as data collection instruments. A central instrument called the Creation Booklet is used. Recordings and transcriptions are made during each session. These data are organized and analyzed in Excel and ATLAS.ti 9. Based on three pre-established categories: Conceptions and attitudes about scientific knowledge, Conceptions and attitudes about science teaching, and Teacher professional practice, the trends in these three categories are then described and their implications for experimental activities. Based on the analysis through software coding and content analysis, two emerging categories are identified, called Emotional Manifestations and Didactic Change. Each teacher is analyzed separately, although both show a modification and change in concepts and practical knowledge versus experimental activities. However, there is a gap with theoretical knowledge. Finally, an analysis of the implementation path is presented, identifying significant activities and the contribution of Participatory Action Research as a mentoring option for practicing teachers. Furthermore, the importance of further exploring the aforementioned emerging categories and proposing shorter mentoring periods is emphasized, given the organizational and logistics requirements of educational institutions.