POTENTIALITY FROM THE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION IN THE TEACHER TRAINING

Abstract

The following article aims to discuss and analyse the contributions of the extension Project “Chemistry in schools: integrating theory and practice” in teacher education through narration of experiences lived by undergraduate students from the degree course of Natural Sciences - Chemistry from Federal University of Maranhão – UFMA, Center of Sciences from São Bernardo, I understand that the triad Teaching, Research and Extension, which underlies the University, can contribute significantly to the expansion of experiences in the academic sphere, being the Extension a dialectic tool of theory/practice that favors the training to social reality of the teaching work’s environment. The research adopted has qualitative nature with data analysis from reports acquired from a questionnaire of 10 questions in interview format and it was applied to undergraduate students from the course who are participants from the extension project who discuss the project’s contributions to form their teaching identity and professional training. It was noticed that, besides the professional learning, the accomplishment of the project brings lots of benefits to the teacher in training. The extensionist develops a bigger interaction with the work environment and professionals from that área and creates opportunities for the development of skills related to teamwork, besides those related with the teaching and learning process of Chemistry content. The university extension is essential for the teaching training, since it enables the process of knowledge construction from the experience of reality in the teacher’s work environment who acquires skills and abilities that make them professionals with excellence.