BEAGLE. RESEARCH INTO THE DIDACTICS OF THE NATURAL SCIENCES – IUCA – Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Ambientales

Presentation

The group BEAGLE is made up of biologists, geologists, chemists, veterinary scientists and engineers who investigate teaching and training in the natural sciences at all levels of education (infant, primary, secondary and university).

The general aim is to progress in the analysis and assessment of the difficulties of teaching and training that seeks to foster the development in pupils of a critical attitude and enable them to make decisions in dealing with current socio-scientific questions (evaluation of the natural heritage, understanding of scientific and technological advances, evaluation of environmental problems, scientific literacy, etc.).

Specific aims

To approach the problems of teaching and training in accordance with the level of teaching.
To design didactic materials that foster teamwork, investigation, discussion amongst equals, the formulation of explanations and arguments, and the construction of scientific models.
To implement them and assess their efficiency.

Lines of investigation

Scientific literacy
Investigating the difficulties pupils have both in understanding scientific concepts and models and in being able to use this knowledge in other contexts, whether in education or in daily life.
Environmental education and health education
– Selecting situations of environmental and social interest in order to develop critical thought, enabling the students to adopt a well-grounded position in dealing with these situations.
– Investigating the arguments and justifications of students with regard to real or simulated activities, in the natural environment.
– Developing among pupils strategies for appreciating the natural heritage of Aragon.
Updating of educational software
Design and updating of computer material fostering scientific literacy and environmental education: https://dcexperimentales.unizar.es/

Projects undertaken

Project EDU2016-76743-P Development of systemic thinking by generating questions in investigation contexts in teaching the sciences.

12th Conference of EUROPEAN RESEARCHERS IN DIDACTICS OF BIOLOGY- ERIDOB 2018 (Zaragoza, 2-6 July 2018), organized by the group.

Research activities in collaboration with schools and organizations such as the Fernández Vizarra Infant and Primary School (Monzalbarba), El Parque (Huesca) and La Fuenfresca (Teruel). These collaborations have given rise to outreach proposals, communications and publications in journals:

Mazas, B., Gil-Quílez, M. J., Martínez-Peña, B., Hervás, A. & Muñoz, A. (2018). Los niños de infantil piensan, actúan y hablan sobre el comportamiento del aire y del agua. (Infant children think, behave and speak on the behaviour of air and water) Enseñanza de las ciencias, 36(1), 163-180.
Mazas, B., Bravo, B., Mateo, E., Lucha, P., Cortés, A. & Martínez-Peña, B. (2018). Llevamos los minerales al aula: actividades para trabajar la modelización. (We bring the minerals to the classroom: activities for working on modelling) Enseñanza de las Ciencias de la Tierra, 26.3, 340-351.

Infrastructure

The group BEAGLE does not have a specific infrastructure, but enjoys the use of the laboratories and libraries of the faculties among which its members are distributed: The Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Human Sciences and Education, and the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences.

The laboratories are equipped with specific material for pursuing research activities in teaching and training in the sciences, the results of which are applied in classrooms.

Technological Offer/Services

Consultancy in problems associated with teaching and training in the sciences at all levels of education.

Noticias del Grupo

30 meters of mural dedicated to science education and reflection on the past
(Zaragoza. Friday, June 24, 2022). A teaching innovation project (PIIDUZ_1_300) of the University of Zaragoza has allowed science teaching to be worked on from an interdisciplinary perspective in which students of Fine Arts from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of Teruel have participated, who have designed six scenes based on the geological resources […]
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The 4th grade students of the Colegio San Valero de Alcañiz (Teruel) investigate the birds in their environment
(Zaragoza. Monday, June 20, 2022). The 4th grade students of the Colegio San Valero de Alcañiz (Teruel) have carried out research on birds over the last two months, led by researchers from the Beagle group and members of the CienciaTE project. In the first of the sessions of this program, the students presented the observations […]
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Participation of the IUCA in activities of the Green Week Unizar
(Zaragoza, Wednesday, June 8, 2022). The Huesca and Teruel campuses and the San Francisco campus in Zaragoza joined the “Green Week” last Friday, June 3, as a prelude to the European Night of Researchers, which will be held on the last Friday of September. And they did it with workshops, scientific-healthy breakfasts, gymkhanas, sustainable mobility […]
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The Geolodía Zaragoza 2022 will analyze the urban area of Calatayud from the eyes of geology
(Zaragoza, May 4, 2022). The Geolodía Zaragoza is celebrated this year next Saturday, May 7 in the city of Calatayud. In this edition, which recovers the face-to-face format, four excursions will be held throughout the day (10am, 11am, 4pm and 5pm), with the aim of answering the question: is there geology in the urban area […]
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