Intercultural Competence and Skills in the Biology Teachers Training from the Research Procedure of Ethnobiology

Abstract

We present and discuss the results of qualitative research based on a case study with biology undergraduate students from a public University of Bahia state, Brazil. The objective was to identify the influence of practical experiences involving ethnobiology applied to science teaching on intercultural dialogue into their initial training. To collect data, undergraduate students were asked to construct narratives revealing the influences of ethnobiology into their training as future teachers. Data were analyzed according to Bardin (1977) and supported by specific literature from the fields of science education and teaching. The thematic categories generated lead us to conclude that the undergraduates of biology teaching made reflections that allowed them to build opinions with meanings that should influence their pedagogical practices with intercultural dialogue. We recommend further studies involving ethnobiology and the training of biology teachers, with a larger sample of participants and the methodological and theoretical procedures of this science. Improvements could be made in biology teacher education curricula that encourage respect and consideration of cultural diversity. We highlight that it is imperative for teacher education courses to generate opportunities for on-site practical experience, in addition to the theory used in the classroom.