Use of Research Findings in Undergraduate Physics Education Programs in Angola

Abstract

Reading, comprehending, and interpreting academic texts has a significant impact on the preparation of future educators. This article presents the findings of a pilot study that aimed to determine whether scholarly literature such as journal articles, monographs, dissertations, and theses is considered in the education of physics teachers in Angola. The research was conducted between the years of 2019 and 2021 and it was based on an examination of the pedagogical projects and course outlines in Physics education programs at three Angolan institutions. The documents examined ranged from 2016 to 2020. To do this, we relied on a qualitative approach and on Bardin’s Content Analysis to collect and process data, in addition to other authors to support the discussion. The findings revealed that most pedagogical projects studied aim to incorporate research findings into their teaching, but only a small percentage of the analysed courses outlines actually did so. This study also revealed a scarcity of doctorally-educated staff in this field, as well as a lack of use of journal articles, monographs, dissertations, and theses, and proceedings of national and international scientific conferences.