Abstract:

Despite a long time scientists have demonstrated the effectiveness of constructivist socio-cultural theories and historical-cultural on which are based on scientific learning models, today in Italian schools we find that the teaching of Science is not always based on these paradigms. Often the laboratory is designed as an appendage of the theory or a physical space, while it should be considered as a way of working, where the teacher plays a role as the action director and he encourages children to be actors and not spectators.
Therefore, we decided to conduct this research with the aim to validate the usefulness and effectiveness of the teaching laboratory in the teaching-learning processes of Biology in Primary School and to assess the possibility of introducing in the program the discussion on the Kingdom of Fungi.

This work focused on a didactics project on the Kingdom of Fungi, with particular reference to the classification and morphology. We decided to approach this subject as in the various Italian legislative documents, including the recent National Guidelines, there is a complete lack of interest in microorganisms and fungi. At the same time, in order to confirm the effectiveness of the teaching laboratory, we chose to deal with this theme with both transmission teaching approach and numerous laboratory activities, thus providing the opportunity to develop a comparison between these two teaching methods.

At the end of this research, it can be stated that analysis of the obtained results confirms the experimental hypotheses. About this topic, it was found that the students have learned the concepts addressed in depth and, even if with difficulty, have developed critical attitudes towards phenomena, recording a significant improvement with the laboratory method with respect to transmissive one. As regards the discussion on the Kingdom of fungi, it appeared that this type of topic allows to generate in students a deep interest in these organisms, thus demonstrating the importance of introducing in primary school this fundamental biological aspect.

Keywords:

Life sciences, primary school, scientific method, Kingdom of Fungi.