Aspectos sobre a História e Filosofia da Ciência relacionados ao tópico Gravitação presentes em livros didáticos de Física aprovados pelo PNLD 2018

Abstract

The History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) is an important approach in Physics Education because it helps students reflect on how scientific knowledge is built, its historical development, and different views of the Nature of Science (NOS). In this context, textbooks play a key role in bringing these ideas into the classroom, making it important to investigate how HPS is presented in these materials. Recent studies have examined historical and epistemological aspects in Science and Physics textbooks, pointing out both advances and gaps in the way historical context and views of science are presented. Based on this scenario, the present research sought to answer the following question: “Which aspects of the History and Philosophy of Science related to astronomical models and scientific anecdotes are found in Physics textbooks approved by the 2018 National Textbook Program (PNLD)?”. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze aspects of the History and Philosophy of Science related to astronomical models and scientific anecdotes present in Physics textbooks approved by the 2018 PNLD, focusing on the topic of Gravitation. This is a documentary study with a qualitative and exploratory approach, based on the analysis of selected chapters from the twelve Physics textbook collections approved by the program. The analysis focused on two categories: the cosmological models presented in the textbooks and the scientific anecdotes related to the development of Gravitation. The results showed that all textbook collections discuss the historical transition from the geocentric model to the heliocentric model, although with different levels of depth and historical context. The analysis also showed that visual representations are mainly limited to these two models, with little reference to other cosmological models and a strong Eurocentric view of the History of Astronomy. Regarding scientific anecdotes, the story of Newton's apple was found in most of the textbooks and was presented in an ambiguous way. Although many authors discuss the historical accuracy of the episode, it may still encourage simplified views about how scientific knowledge is developed. Overall, the textbooks analyzed include HPS elements that can contribute to Physics teaching, but these elements are still presented only partially. The results suggest opportunities to improve the historical and epistemological treatment of these topics and may support future studies as well as the development of new educational materials.