O desenvolvimento do conceito de energia por estudantes dos anos finais do ensino fundamental a partir dos referenciais da didática desenvolvimental

Abstract

This investigation sought to answer the following problem: how can the theory of developmental teaching, based on dialectical logic, trigger the development of scientific theoretical thinking based on the concept of energy? The objective of this research is to apprehend the evidence of the formation of theoretical thinking in students of the 8th year of Elementary School, from the process of appropriation of the concept of energy, in the context of developmental didactics. In the search for answers, this investigation is supported by the theoretical assumptions of Marx's philosophy of historical and dialectical materialism; Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory; from Leontiev's activity theory and from Davydov's developmental teaching, in order to organize the teaching activity (teacher) and also the study activity (student) in the field of Natural Sciences. The line of study of this research refers to fundamentals, methodologies and resources for Science and Mathematics Education. In the methodology, the development of the formative didactic experiment, we elaborated study tasks and used the following instruments for data production: participant observation, questionnaires, recorded video classes, material produced by the conductor/researcher and by the students during the pedagogical intervention. For the analysis and inferences of the collected data, the following analytical categories were used: zone of proximal development, study tasks and substantive abstraction-generalization. The results of this investigation signal significant indications in relation to the development of theoretical thinking by the students from the generalized mode of action, the conservation of energy and its nexus concepts. For example, when the student proposes a solution to the problem of lack of electricity in homes, he establishes possibilities by relating solar panels to the wind tower in “electricity generation”. Finally, we highlight the proposal of the educational product, "Formative didactic experiment: the formation of theoretical thinking from the appropriation of nuclear relations on the concept of energy", which is found in the appendix, elaborated from this investigation and which shows the complexity , the challenges and the possibility of organizing a teaching that creates situations for the development of scientific theoretical thinking (analysis, synthesis, abstraction, generalization) in unity with the formation of scientific concepts.