Abstract:
This research aimed to analyze the pedagogical practices used by the Portuguese biology teachers that might be able to improve the development of skills and competencies in the teaching of biology as a school subject. The study included 94% of the Biology teachers working in secondary education (High School) in the Portuguese city of Bragança. It is qualitative research, with a descriptive and interpretative nature. For the survey data, we used the semi-structured interview; then the data were transcribed and subjected to content analysis. The results showed that the infrastructure of schools and the availability of good equipment and resources vary in Bragança Secondary education, while there is a difficulty for the students with the knowledge of the Portuguese language, and Mathematics and other school subjects are major challenges to overcome. So, it is possible to claim that a diversified practice that uses strategies in laboratory and field classes, educational games and cooperative learning can improve the teaching of biology.
Keywords:
Teaching of Biology; Teaching methods; National education exam; High school; Portugal