What professors think about the use of bioinformatics in biology teaching

Abstract

Pointed as an innovative didactic resource for Biology Teaching, Bioinformatics enables the interpretation of genomic and proteomic data with the aid of computing. This resource, as a didactic tool, is little widespread in Brazilian Basic Education when compared to the most developed countries. To understand the panorama about the use of Bioinformatics as a methodological resource in Biology Teaching, we carried out an exploratory research through data collection. The survey consisted of the application of a questionnaire for graduated (N=59) and undergraduates (N=17) of Biological Sciences. The answers were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively through Thematic Analysis. It was found that 56% of respondents defined Bioinformatics satisfactorily; which was correlated with the year of training of teachers. The potential of Bioinformatics in Basic Education was associated, from the perspective of teachers, with the possibility of contextualizing abstract themes to digital native students, the dissemination of the area and the possibility of interdisciplinarity. Regarding the limitations regarding its use, the lack of experience/knowledge of the professors, the curricular plastering and the lack of infrastructure were pointed out. The results indicate that, despite recognizing the potential of Bioinformatics as a didactic resource, teachers do not have adequate training for its use, and it is necessary to offer them training for this type of tool, which would demand a closer relationship between the university and Basic Education.

Keywords

• bioinformática
• ensino de biologia
• formação de professores