Research with chemistry teachers from the high schools of Uberaba/MG: School laboratories and teacher training

Abstract

The reality of public schools in the city of Uberaba, state of Minas Gerais, elucidated in this research analyzed the ability of chemistry teachers to teach their classes, as well as the occurrence of experimental classes, infrastructure and availability of materials in laboratories. The proposal addresses the educational and structural context of teaching chemistry in schools, with information collected through questionnaires with chemistry teachers from 19 different state schools with secondary education. The study examined the teacher profile, the knowledge of educational guidelines, the presence and infrastructure of the laboratories, the frequency of practical classes in chemistry, the availability of materials for the classes and the existence of a laboratory technician. The results revealed the lack of structure, materials and professionals in the chemistry laboratories, besides the lack of training of the teachers in experimental activities; needing improvement of the graduates to improve their pedagogical methodologies.