Alunos jovens (7 a 12 anos de idade) podem aprender a importância e a evolução das plantas?: casos de estudo com a metodologia IBSE

Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) is a student-centered teaching method around questions, perceived as the driving force for science learning. To understand the impacts of this methodology in learning about the importance, diversity and evolution of plants, the lesson “The alga who I wanted to be a flower” was applied to 160 students of the 3rd, 5th and 6th basic grade students (ages 7-12), in direct contact with the plants and using different educational valences. Students’ learning and attitudes were assessed through pre and post-questionnaires. ‘Knowing the five groups of plants and their evolution’ was newly acquired knowledge, achieved by more than 50% of the students (52.5%, 97.6% and 89.5% of the 3rd, 5th and 6th grade students, respectively). On global learning increase, students of the 5th grade also showed the highest score in the correct/partially correct answers (217.1), followed by the 6th (170.3), and finally the 3rd grade (88.6). Most students (> 49-78%) enjoyed this IBSE experience, mainly because ‘Learned more’. Overall, students ‘Felt more inspired’ (49-78%) and more than 81% ‘Willing to adopt new attitudes about nature’. Despite a minor expression and consistency, with the IBSE methodology concepts and attitudes about the plants were learned by students from 7 to 14 years, regardless of age.