Science as a cultural activity: comparative study of Brazilian and Portuguese teachers’ conceptions about science

Abstract

This is a comparative study on Brazilian and Portuguese science teachers’ conceptions about science and cultural diversity awareness. Interviews before and after the TE-CD course revealed differences between teachers of both countries, which may be associated to their previous teacher training and social context. This preliminary study showed that further research in both countries is of paramount importance in order to elucidate in more detail the differences not only between the science teachers’ conceptions about science but also between their teacher training. This can contribute to improve science teacher training curriculum in both countries, with special reference to cultural diversity.