Carla Morais

Abstract BackgroundScience teaching in the early years plays a crucial role in students' scientific education. Teachers' attitudes and perceptions about experimental science directly affect the quality of learning. Although the curriculum highlights experimental approaches, research in Portugal shows they remain underused in classrooms.PurposeThis study aimed to examine the impact of a compulsory continuous professional development (CPD) program on primary teachers' attitudes and perceptions of science teaching, specifically assessing whether participation in a municipality-wide CPD program would lead to attitudinal changes.SampleParticipants were 109 3rd- and 4th-grade primary school teachers.Design and MethodsA quantitative, quasi-experimental one-group pre-test - post-test design was adopted. Teachers completed a validated questionnaire at the beginning and end of the school year. The instrument measured domains including Perceptions of Science Teaching, Science Teaching and Emotions, Gender and Science Teaching, Resources and Support, and Teacher Preparation and Training. Data were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests (alpha = 0.05), and effect sizes (Cohen's dz) were calculated.ResultsResults showed statistically significant improvements in teachers' perceptions of science teaching, emotions, and preparation and training, with small-to-moderate effect sizes. No significant changes were observed in the Resources and Support domain, suggesting structural or institutional constraints beyond the scope of the CPD program.ConclusionThese findings highlight the potential of compulsory CPD to foster positive changes in teachers' perceptions, while underscoring contextual factors that may limit its impact. The study provides evidence to inform sustainable CPD design and identifies directions for future research, such as long-term follow-up and cross-context comparisons.

Abstract The high costs of equipment and maintenance for Chemistry laboratories are a barrier to quality education in this science. However, the emergence of user-friendly and low-cost technological tools helps to mitigate this problem. This paper presents a STEM proposal for exploring distillation collaboratively in a remote laboratory with live data transmission and sharing online. The approach was analyzed by four teachers from Mozambique who, in that context, highlighted the positive potential for knowledge exchange between schools and cultures and the negative lack of technological means in schools for its implementation. They recognize great potential for implementation in higher education, as institutions have better resources. Thus, richer learning experiences can be promoted for all participants.