Experimentation in bachelor’s education programs in biological sciences: a look from Fleckian epistemology

Abstract

This investigation consists of an epistemological analysis based on Ludwik Fleck’s assumptions, which had as object of investigation nine Pedagogical Projects of Courses (PPC) offering a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences by Federal Universities in Southern Brazil. The aim of this research is to identify the development of Thought Styles on Experimentation in the PPCs of certified teacher education with a major in Biology. To identify Thought Styles, we performed the discussions based on the following Experimentation conceptions: Investigative (the most prevalent), Empiricist-inductivist (second prevalent), Demonstrative and Deductivist-rationalist (absent). With a focus on the analysis of mandatory referentials, it was possible to discuss, based on the excerpts obtained during the analyses of the nine PPCs, the following categories: Thought Styles and Thought Collectives, as proposed by Fleck, passing through the Thought Nuances, to ultimately find proximities in regard to the investigative thinking style, present in the most PPCs examined. Based on the results, we clearly identified that among the different Collectives (Institutions) examined, a Thought Collective is under development, oriented by the same investigative style considered for Experimentation, strengthening the understandings about it in order to provide an education of quality to future teachers in the area of sciences.