Curricular approaches and teacher education in chemistry in Latin America

some reflections

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated theoretical similarities between teacher curriculum proposals in Chemistry Education and their contributions to teacher training. These approaches can contribute to teacher training. Scientific articles from Latin American journals were analyzed through a Discursive Textual Analysis. Emerging categories are: “Curriculum and curricular approaches: definitions and interrelations”, “Science and Society: contributions to student education” and “Active learning and contextualization in Chemistry Education.” The first discusses the need to reconfigure traditional curricula, the second addresses the development of critical thinking and the relationship between science and social contexts, and the third explores strategies such as inquiry-based teaching and problem-based learning. It is concluded that these approaches, present in Latin America, promote critical and up-to-date teacher education, with a significant influence on teaching.