El trabajo práctico en la enseñanza de las ciencias: una revisión

Resum

This article is a review about the effectiveness of practicáis in science education at the secondary and tertiary levels. Through more than one hundred references, the authors conclude solid arguments have not been provided to justify the great deal of material and human resources needed for the implementation of this educational tool. In spite of these disappointing findings, the authors do not deny the central role of practicáis in science education, and they justify these negative results by invoking the great complexity of the subject, the ambiguity that surrounds the term «practicáis», and an unsuitable methodology that researchers use to measure their effectiveness. Finally, some plausible solutions to the problem are suggested, such as the characterisation of the educational objectives of practicáis, or the use of a qualitative evaluation methodology.