Contribuições das atividades experimentais da revista Ciência Hoje das Crianças para a construção de conceitos científicos

Abstract

This dissertation presents the results of the research that aimed to understand the contribution of experimental activities in Physics published by Ciência Hoje das Crianças (CHC) to the construction of scientific concepts. We chose CHC as a research object due to the importance of reflections on materials that intend to disseminate scientific content for the early years. These materials can encourage the rational discussion of concepts and can also raise epistemological obstacles generating partial, misleading knowledge or keeping the student in common knowledge. Thus, based on the content analysis methodology, we analyzed the CHC editions from 2009 to 2020, considering that a decade of publications would allow us to observe the limitations and possibilities of this journal. The theoretical background adopted in this dissertation is based on Bachelard's epistemology for its potential to raise critical reflection for the analysis of materials that publish information about Science. The results show that the CHC journal is organized into sections that use different methodologies to address the themes in each issue. In the analyzed journals, we identified that one hundred and ninety-four experimental activities are proposed for different areas of the Natural and Human Sciences. In the area of Physics, we have identified sixty-five proposals that address all the traditional areas of this Science. Mechanics is the most discussed area and, in Modern Physics, the least dealt with, we find only one activity. Most of these activities are divided into four steps: 1) image and context, 2) materials, 3) procedures and 4) results. In the contextualization stage, we observe that the experiments bring phrases that relate Science to a magic show, as a form of motivation for its practice. In the procedures, we saw that most experimental proposals present a structured form, with step-by-step instructions for its realization. In the results, explanations for the observed phenomena are presented, we consider that the immediate presentation of the answers, in the last step, reduces the student's reflexive and critical action to build their interpretations of what

was observed. Concerning epistemological obstacles, we identified them in twenty of the sixty- five experimental activities in Physics of the CHC journal. Based on the results, we understand

that the experimental activities of the CHC journal fulfill their objective of arousing children's curiosity concerning different topics in Science. It has potential in terms of the motivational field, as it recurrently presents Science in an entertaining and illustrated way. It also allows for the first approximation with scientific contents, providing opportunities for observation and initial understanding of these concepts through experience. However, this first approach to scientific concepts can be enhanced with the intervention of the teacher, in the identification and overcoming of epistemological obstacles. We believe that these materials need to undergo a review by researchers with specific knowledge in the field of education to avoid inadequacies so that the responsibility for overcoming the limits found in materials used in schools is not left to the teacher.