O ensino de física à luz da astronomia: Uma prática pedagógica investigativa e experimental

Abstract

This dissertation is the result of a research that aims to analyze strategies of teaching Physics using Astronomy as a motivational agent for its learning, establishing a relationship of transversality between Physics and Astronomy. The teaching methodologies included teaching strategies for scientific research, observation and practical experimental activities, executed in a high school in the city of Salvador-Bahia in the years 2015 and 2016. For the research activity, it was proposed the construction on one radio telescope for purposes didactics to capture and record the radio waves emitted by the Sun. Another activity proposed to the students was to observe the different phases of the Moon to then make models made from low cost materials that simulate the phases of the Moon as observed and an apparatus that allows the analysis of spectra of light through the spectroscope. All research work was based on the theoretical principles of John Dewey, which advocated participatory learning where ideas should be shared - and this is only possible when there is no barrier to free expression of thought -, and David Ausubel's Theory of Meaningful Learning, according to which to have meaning it is necessary that the new knowledge has connection with what the student already knows. The research methodology has qualitative descriptive treatment, and the author intervened directly in the research process. In this work, exploratory analyzes of the History of Astronomy education in Brazil and the teaching and learning of Sciences are carried out in the perspective of research and experimentation on the points of view of authors such as Antoni Zabala, Gil Perez and others. Physics teaching practices associated with experimental activities and integrated with themes that raise outstanding curiosities such as Astronomy have contributed to the participatory increase of students in the teaching-learning process. As a product of the construction work, we have as final production the elaboration of a practical manual containing the experiments in which shared the methods and procedures employed.