Didactic content knowledge evaluation on critical thinking in environmental education of a teacher through the application of the Teaching and Learning Sequence “Doña Juana y yo” to eighth grade students

Abstract

The CyTPENCRI project (Education of scientific, technological and critical thinking skills through the teaching of topics of a science and technology nature), proposes, as one of its objectives, to evaluate the improvement of teachers’ teaching competence through the development of critical thinking and didactic content knowledge (CDC). This article presents the experience of a science teacher, collaborator of the CyTPENCRI project, when applying the Teaching-Learning Sequence (TLS): “Doña Juana y yo” to a group of 28 eighth grade students, about the problematic that represents a filling sanitary such as that of Doña Juana, in Bogotá, Colombia, in a place close to the Institution and the communities. In the development of the research, the teacher performs the planning of the three phases: apply the pretest, develop the SEA and apply the posttest. Afterwards, the teacher reflects on her teaching action and uses two complementary ways to collect and present in writing the information on the Didactic Content Knowledge (CDC). The central concept of the nature of science and technology developed by the SEA is that environmental education must be based on reflective and critical knowledge of its reality. This is analyzed with three ideas: Need to recognize the complex relationships of individuals with their natural, social, political and cultural environment; articulate scientific and technological knowledge with social and environmental knowledge, and enhance critical and creative thinking skills.