Abstract:

The initial training of teachers remains a central concern in education. Demotivation and disinterest on the part of students and difficulties for teachers in teaching in the face of the diversity of students' neurological functioning make career development an ongoing challenge. With this in mind, a mini-course in neuroscience was offered with the aim of providing chemistry students with knowledge of the main mental functions involved in learning and, subsequently, analyzing its effects on teacher training. Seven students enrolled in a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry at the Federal Technological University of Paraná, Londrina campus, Brazil, participated in the qualitative, applied, and field research. Data collection took place during the mini-course, which comprised a total of 27 class hours of fifty minutes each, with five face-to-face meetings in university classrooms and other distance learning activities, using resources such as the Moodle platform, WhatsApp group, and email. Participants took part in various activities, such as completing pre- and post-questionnaires, solving problems, playing games, watching videos, reading and studying theoretical texts, among others. The results show that participants recognized neuroscience as an ally in teaching, allowing practices to be adapted to students' cognitive and emotional differences, promoting more inclusive learning. The mini-course sparked greater interest in neuroscience among undergraduate students, highlighting the importance of including this topic in undergraduate curricula.

Keywords:

Teacher training, mental functions, memory, learning, degree.