Science teacher education and non-formal learning
Collaborative self-study in Latin American contexts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31129/LUMAT.14.3.3287Keywords:
teacher training, non-formal education, self-study, Latin American contexts, science educationAbstract
Although museums, science centres, and other non-formal institutions are widely recognised as valuable contexts for science learning, their role in teacher education remains underdeveloped. This paper explores how non-formal science learning environments are incorporated into science teacher education in Latin America, a region marked by significant inequalities in access to scientific culture and educational resources. Drawing on a comparative self-study, the study analyses collaborative autoethnographic narratives from six teacher educators in Brazil, Chile, and a joint Colombia–Argentina case. Through iterative individual and cross-case analysis, the research examines how non-formal environments are mobilised within three teacher education experiences. Findings from these cases reveal heterogeneous forms of integration, including course-based approaches, multi-site experiences, and an immersive internship. Across the cases, three shared purposes emerged: preparing teachers for school visits, supporting their own learning through engagement with non-formal environments, and expanding their professional horizons. The analysis also suggests that teacher educators’ trajectories and academic agency interact with institutional conditions such as curricular flexibility, limited resources, time, and unequal access to non-formal institutions. These situated findings illuminate possibilities and tensions in recognising non-formal science settings as legitimate spaces for learning and professional development in teacher education.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Natália Cândido Vendrasco, Jéssica Norberto-Rocha, Eduardo Guzmán-Lazón, Adriana Pugliese, Claudia Mazzitelli, Carlos Soto-Lombana
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