Between Artifacts and Narratives: Maker Culture and Teacher Professional Development in Science Education

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35819/tear.v15.n1.a8140

Abstract

This article analyzed the narratives of Natural Sciences teachers who participated in an in-service teacher education program conducted in a maker space, investigating how interaction with digitally fabricated educational artifacts revealed perceptions, tensions, and reconfigurations in pedagogical practice. Grounded in discussions on continuing professional development as a dimension of teacher professionalization, digital competencies, and maker culture, the study adopted a qualitative interpretative approach. Thirty-five teachers working in the final years of Elementary Education participated in the program, organized into eight groups that handled educational products developed through 3D printing, laser cutting, and low-cost materials, addressing biology, physics, and chemistry content. Data were produced through audio-recorded descriptions guided by open-ended questions, complemented by 52 units of analysis extracted from individual responses. The data were examined through thematic analysis and organized into three main categories: Pedagogical, Professional Development, and Digital Citizenship. The findings indicated the predominance of the pedagogical dimension, particularly regarding didactic applicability, playfulness, and the materialization of abstract scientific concepts. Evidence of teacher curation, creative adaptation of materials, curricular tensions, and demands for instructional mediation and accessibility also emerged. The study concluded that maker-mediated professional development fostered reflective processes associated with teacher professional growth, highlighting both the potential and the limitations of integrating technology into science teaching within public schools. 

Keywords: Continuing Professional Development. Maker Culture. Science Education.

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Author Biographies

  • Luiz Paulo Fernandes Lima, IFCE

    Professor de Física no Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Ceará (IFCE). Doutor em Ensino pela Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC). Pesquisador em Tecnologias Digitais Educacionais pelo Grupo de Pesquisa Multidisciplinar em Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia (GPMECT).

  • Soraia Gadelha Carolino, ISCTE

    Servidora do quadro permanente da Secretaria Municipal de Educação de Fortaleza (SME). Doutora em Políticas de Administração e Gestão Escolar pelo Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-PT). Doutora em Ensino em cotutela com a Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC).

  • Francisco Herbert Lima Vasconcelos, UFC

    Professor efetivo Adjunto III da Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC). Doutor em Engenharia de Teleinformática pela Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC). Líder do Grupo de Pesquisa Laboratório Digital Educacional (LDE).

Published

2026-07-13

How to Cite

Between Artifacts and Narratives: Maker Culture and Teacher Professional Development in Science Education. #Tear: Journal of Education, Science and Technology, Canoas, v. 15, n. 1, 2026. DOI: 10.35819/tear.v15.n1.a8140. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ifrs.edu.br/index.php/tear/article/view/8140. Acesso em: 14 jul. 2026.