Química e sustentabilidade: atividades extensionistas e motivação para aprendizado

Abstract

Despite the recent changes to the Brazilian high school curriculum and the various studies on the use of active methodologies in the educational context, lecture-based teaching still predominates in formal learning environments, especially in high school, where efforts are directed toward passing university entrance exams. The focus on memorizing large amounts of content as a requirement for entering higher education is one of the reasons why young Brazilians interrupt their studies, particularly those for whom entering the job market is urgent. This research evaluated whether it is possible to motivate students to continue their studies at the higher education level and to reinforce the learning of topics related to chemistry and sustainability through the participation of high school students in an extension project at the Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de São José do Rio Pardo, using active teaching methodologies with the theme “The Sustainable Development Goals.” In the field of chemistry, concepts related to soap making and the project’s main topic were covered. The research on motivation was based on self-determination theory, in which meeting the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness is essential for fostering intrinsic motivation, which is the most successful alternative for keeping students engaged with school and their own education. Data collection was carried out through content analysis of logbooks and questionnaires that assessed both the relevance of the information related to chemistry and sustainability and the students’ self-perception of their knowledge of these topics, establishing connections and interpretations about motivation related to their learning. The activities were planned to address these three basic psychological needs, and the main results indicate that the project contributed to learning chemistry, especially in relating the studied content to the students’ daily lives, as well as improving their sense of competence and autonomy in learning these topics. The proposed activities proved effective in bringing the community closer to the higher education institution; however, this connection could be strengthened through interdisciplinarity and a longer project duration.