CONCEPÇÕES SOBRE CIÊNCIA E CIENTISTA EMERGENTES DE UM PROCESSO DE CIÊNCIA CIDADÃ COCRIADA  EM ESCOLA

Establishing a broad understanding of science and the role of scientists by Elementary School students is challenging, but essential. In the context of Science teaching, it is an objective to understand how scientific knowledge is produced and who are those responsible for knowledge construction. This study aimed to investigate whether there were changes in the conceptions of science and scientists among 3rd-grade elementary school students participating in a citizen science project in the school context. Field research was conducted in 2022, with participant observation and a quali-quantitative approach, involving 96 students from a full-time school in the ABC Paulista region. A shift from alternative conceptions to less stereotypical and more realistic views of the scientific process was observed. An increase in the understanding of the relationship between science and the practice of asking questions was noted. The results suggest that co-created citizen science teaching and learning approaches at schools can be effective in promoting a solid scientific education from the early years of elementary school. Thus, we emphasize the importance of investigating innovative proposals in Basic Education, aiming at the progressive construction of students' understanding of science and scientific work.