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Over the last 50 years a new research area, science education research, has arisen and undergone singular development worldwide. In the specific case of Brazil, research in science education first appeared systematically 40 years ago, as a consequence of an overall renovation in the field of science education. This evolution was also related to the political events taking place in the country. We will use the theoretical work of Rene Kaes on the development of groups and institutions as a basis for our discussion of the most important aspects that have helped the area of science education research develop into an institution and kept it operating as such. The growth of this area of research can be divided into three phases: The first was related to its beginning and early configurations; the second consisted of a process of consolidation of this institution; and the third consists of more recent developments, characterised by a multiplicity of research lines and corresponding challenges to be faced. In particular, we will analyse the special contributions to this study gleaned from the field known as the history and philosophy of science. (Contains 1 table and 36 notes.)

This paper analyzes the most significant events occurring in Brazil's educational, social and political areas over the last half century, viewed against a background of relevant worldwide events. The hypothesis presented here is that the relations between the country's educational policies, the demands of the various segments of academia, and the public school system have always been strained. This strain has contributed positively to the evolution of academic knowledge and production, to the design of more modern curricular projects by institutional authorities, and to the initial recognition of the specific construction of school knowledge by the school system itself. However, the interaction of these major institutions lacks a crucial element--one that would lead to an effective change in the education of science teachers and produce a positive impact on Brazil's schools--namely, the wholehearted participation of science teachers themselves. With this analysis, we intend to contribute by offering some perspectives and proposals for science teacher education in Brazil.

The objective of this study was to identify gender issues in the academic performance of boys and girls during physics classes in a laboratory. The methodology adopted was the observation and interactions of pupils during eight classroom events. The interactions were recorded and events were informally discussed with the teacher. The school visited is a Federal mixed school, located in the city of Belo Horizonte, a large urban and industrialised area of Brazil. Boys and girls differed significantly in their interaction at school. Boys seemed determined to impose their will and to defend their masculine identity at any cost, even at the cost of academic failure. Girls seemed to seek the approval of the teacher, needed more affirmation and usually requested the teacher's attention from their desks. Boys' and girls' behaviour in the school expresses the different socialisation models given to them by society. It is suggested here that schools are social institutions in which values and attitudes that reinforce social division predominate. Schools validate ideas about "boys' nature" (masculine identity) and "girls' nature" (feminine identity), "positioning" boys and girls in different social spaces. Schools and teachers must intervene in classrooms to guarantee a better academic involvement of boys and girls. (Contains 3 tables and 5 notes.)