Analysis of the contributions of the General Didactics discipline for the formation of Chemistry teachers

Abstract

This work investigates the contributions of the General Didactics discipline to the formation of future Chemistry teachers. Data were raised through semi-structured interviews with four professors and sixteen future professors of a degree course in Chemistry at a higher education institution. The interviews brought up statements about the contributions of General Didactics to the training of Chemistry teachers, seeking to understand how it correlates with other subjects of the course, what it offers to the organization of teaching work, and the incentive to reflective practices while working the various dimensions of the teaching process. Didactics allows the teacher to think beyond the techniques used to teach, and its importance is made clear in discussions about didactic transposition, learning styles, content treatment levels and the analysis of didactic strategies in Chemistry classes. The research reinforced the importance of the General Didactics discipline for the initial formation of Chemistry teachers, since it contemplates both technical aspects of teaching and the theoretical support for a critical-reflexive practice.