A pesquisa como princípio científico e educativo no ensino da produção animal: efeito da lactação sobre a eficiência reprodutiva de fêmeas bovinas de corte

Abstract

The gap between everyday practice of reproductive cows in most technical schools, and the production of knowledge has motivated this research, developed in 2008 at “Escola Agrotécnica Federal Alegrete-RS (now called “Instituto Federal Farroupilha-Campus Alegrete). The adoption of the research as scientific and educational principle "in the teaching of animal production had as objective that students with methodological strategies make the autonomous construction of new knowledge in order to determine their professional formation. The survey was conducted using as reference a second research project, with a technological character and performed by students from the “Ténico Agrícola” Course, entitled "Effect of lactation on reproductive performance of female beef cattle, in which were compared three different weaning systems and its effects on the reproductive efficiency of cows. The teaching research methods employed were qualitative methodologies, with the use of initial and final questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and participant observation. To determine the results of the technological project, we conducted an analysis of variance, using the ANOVA procedure and where the ANOVA detected a significant effect, we applied an average test (Tukey), with a significant 5% level. The results showed that the use of "research as scientific and educational principle" as a methodological strategy has significant effect on the construction of knowledge and hence the evolution of student learning. The positive effect that triggers such methodology in the different aspects involved in cognition, especially regarding the relationship between meaningful learning, autonomy, leadership and motivation was showed. In the technological project, results showed that there was an influence of lactation on the first estrus, determining a period of conception longer in cows with calves. It was also demonstrated that under similar nutritional conditions, there were no significant differences between the partial interruption (weaning) and total interruption (early weaning) of lactation, and the techniques of early weaning have reduced the interval between the birth and the new conception if they have been compared to the traditional weaning.