Current reforms in the Brazilian educational system (DCN – Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais) have raised new goals for chemistry teacher training concerning the professional growth of preservice teachers. These goals maintain that teacher training should not be limited to transmitting subject-matter knowledge and pedagogical knowledge using predefined, fixed methods, but rather should find ways to construct knowledge applying higher order thinking skills. However, the approaches advocated in the DCN contrast with the reality of observed practices preservice teachers are exposed to during their preparation. Preservice chemistry teachers perceive traditional approaches such as disseminating factual information and concentrating their teaching efforts on skill or algorithmic practices (Garcia & Kruger, 2009). Clearly, more research is needed on chemistry teacher education nationally. Therefore, the aim of this study is to discuss the research on preservice teacher education in the area of chemistry in Brazil through the analysis of the database of theses and dissertations of Science Education graduate programs affiliated to the Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES).

A conceptual and methodological framework for this research is laid down in the article entitled Research called “State of the Art” written by Ferreira (2002). In this article, the author tries to answer the following questions: Is it worth making the effort of interrogating the history of the academic production about a given area of knowledge, choosing to read only bibliographic data and abstracts of works? What does it mean to read this institution of work dissemination (catalogues), taking it as a documental source to map the academic production in research called “state of art” or “state of knowledge”?

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