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Researchers-mentors' views about a High School students scientific training

This paper presents the researchers-mentors opinions' about a scientific vocational program about a scientific researchtraining program for High School students. An on-line questionnaire was developed specifically to this end. The research instrument contains four items referring to the mentor's profile, 15 referring to the Program's goals, 10 related to the mentoring strategies and an open question allowing the researcher to express his/her opinion about research training for High School students. The questionnaire was answered by 43 researchers (20%). The data referring to the items were analyzed in terms of intensity and consistency of the opinions. The researchers considered the social-cognitive aspects the most valuable feature of the Program. The results show higher levels of internal consistency in the exeqüibility dimension, in both scales, suggesting that the researchers' views about the Program are expressed in their actions. The mentors' views are that scientific investigation is a "practical art"not directly acquired in the books but through imitation and experience. Only in the proper environment, which is materialized in laboratories and scientific events, it is possible to develop knowledge and habilities inherent to scientific careers.

researchers-mentors; scientific vocational program; scientific research- training program; high school education


Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação para a Ciência, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências, campus de Bauru. Av. Engenheiro Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Campus Universitário - Vargem Limpa CEP 17033-360 Bauru - SP/ Brasil , Tel./Fax: (55 14) 3103 6177 - Bauru - SP - Brazil
E-mail: revista@fc.unesp.br