Espaços não formais como possibilidade para a construção do conhecimento químico

Abstract

Despite advancements in education, it is still a challenge for formal institutions and teachers to develop strategies that allow for activities outside the classroom. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between a non-formal space in the Amazon (a museum) and the formal school setting for teaching Chemistry in high school. The following question was considered: How can we approach chemical knowledge in high school by connecting formal and non-formal spaces in order to enable and systematize the construction of scientific knowledge? In this context, we present a sequence of collaborative activities based on the Integrative Projects for the New High School from PNLD, incorporating investigative instruments. The research, conducted qualitatively, took place at state school and the Museum of the Amazon (MUSA). The participants were third-year high school students. We used questionnaires, recorded interviews, observations, and group discussions as data collection instruments. The data analysis was conducted through Textual Discursive Analysis(TDA) and competency-based learning. We identified that activities conducted outside the school represent an additional didactic possibility. It was possible to highlight that the use of this natural environment holds great potential for chemistry activities, as well as for connecting chemical concepts with issues related to the Amazon. Therefore, Amazonian environments become sources of content for teaching various sciences. Thus, the non-formal space in this study demonstrated to be a suitable learning environment for Chemistry education, providing a more comprehensive formation for both students and teachers, enabling the approach to learning contents. Additionally, these environments offer natural resources to be explored by different areas of knowledge.