Evaluation of science and biology laboratories at public and private schools in Maringá, Paraná State - doi: 10.4025/actascihumansoc.v32i2.6895

Abstract

In Science and Biology classes, practical classes are essential to facilitate student learning, experiencing the content acquired in lectures. The experiments are endowed with expectation from students, because they asked to view the content covered by the science and biology textbooks. Within this perspective, the objectives of this study are to assess the condition of teaching laboratories and their frequency of use, because the lack of laboratory materials and poor structural conditions can lead to a reduction in the number of experimental classes. For this work, seventeen (17) laboratories in public schools and four (4) private schools in Maringá, Paraná State, were evaluated using a questionnaire. Of the laboratories visited, 32% do not have enough physical space to meet the average of 1.20 m² per student, required by current state standards. It was noted that, with regard to infrastructure and material conditions, there is a great contrast between laboratories of public and private schools.