Química na história: aplicação e análise de um minicurso para o ensino médio

Abstract

The theme of the History of Science is widely recognized as an effective mechanism for providing critical education, but it is rarely applied in basic education. This qualitative research, through a case study, aimed to develop, apply, and analyze a six-lesson mini-course on the History of Chemistry, with high school students enrolled in an Integrated High School and Chemistry Technician course at an ETEC in the interior of São Paulo state. The study sought to answer the question: "What is the feasibility, difficulties, obstacles, benefits, and advancements in preparing and conducting a mini-course on the History of Chemistry for Integrated High School and Chemistry Technician students, considering the connection between the Humanities and Natural Sciences?" In this regard, it was necessary to understand the motivations and criticisms regarding the implementation of a History of Chemistry course, based on the assumptions of Matthews (1995), Maar (2018), Santos and Porto (2013), and Silva et al. (2010). Regarding the data collection methodology, questionnaires, video recordings of classes, and the teacher-researcher's field diary were used, and data analysis was carried out using content analysis based on Bardin's (2019) concepts. Although the analyzed course was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, we sought to observe and highlight how a History of Chemistry course provides a more humanized and student-centered learning experience. The study also revealed that students tend to distance the components of the Natural Sciences and Humanities axis, and this is reinforced through the practices of teachers. The course helps to deconstruct this fragmented imaginary of knowledge areas. It was found that even though students are in the final phase of basic education, they still struggle with conceptualization and application of Chemistry and History concepts, often due to the lack of classroom approach by subject teachers. The research also pointed out that the difficulty in developing a History of Chemistry course is driven by the teacher's lack of knowledge in the History of Science. It is hoped that this work contributes to the discussion of pedagogical practices regarding the History of Science, specifically the History of Chemistry, aiming to promote conscious and critical education in high school and vocational high school, as well as encourage further research on the subject. Keywords: High School, History of Science