LEARNING GENETICS: AN INTERACTIVE APPROACH BETWEEN HIGHER EDUCATION AND EARLY PRIMARY EDUCATION

Abstract

As part of the curricular unit Clinical Education II at E2S|Porto, a pedagogical intervention on heredity was developed for primary school students, aiming to promote active learning of fundamental concepts in classical genetics. Starting from the question ‘Why do we look like our parents?’, a playful-pedagogical approach was adopted, combining brief expository moments with age-appropriate, hands-on activities. The activities included identifying phenotypic family traits, simulating genetic crossbreeding using cardboard rabbits and pea models, and constructing a karyotype with popsicle sticks. These approaches enable the exploration of key concepts in heredity and cell biology. To assess the effectiveness of the intervention, quizzes were carried out at the beginning and end of the session, and there was a significant increase in the number of correct answers after the session, demonstrating the effectiveness of the pedagogical strategy. The combination of theory and practical activities proved to be an effective tool for learning science, sparking students' early interest in genetics. This model demonstrates the potential of interactive pedagogy strategies in basic education, promoting understanding and the development of scientific thinking from the earliest school years.