During the last decade in Portugal the curricula had undergone several changes, especially towards assessment. In this context, by the analysis of teachers' laboratory work and the ways of assessing it, we seek to identify and characterise teachers' teaching and learning. This study involves three beginning teachers of chemistry and physics. Classroom observation, interviews and documents were the instruments of collecting data. In this study's findings it seems clear that laboratorial work is not much developed in teachers' practices and often is described as demonstrative and illustrative. All participants in this study revealed great difficulties in implementing laboratory work assessment, what is consistent with a teaching and learning perspective that still remains traditional.
Laboratory work; assessment; teaching and learning perspectives