Ensino de Ciências utilizando jogos didáticos em biologia celular: a influência de métodos no ensino médio

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis aimed to analyze the effectiveness of using educational games in teaching Cell Biology to first-year high school students in a public school in Águas Lindas de Goiás - GO, Brazil. Starting from the challenges faced by both teachers and students in traditional lectures, especially with abstract topics such as Cell Biology, the study investigated whether implementing games could make the teaching-learning process more engaging, comprehensible, and participatory. The research was motivated by recurring difficulties in the public school context, such as teacher overload, limited pedagogical resources, and lack of adequate infrastructure. The central research question was: "Does the use of educational games in Cell Biology classes improve students' understanding and engagement compared to exclusively theoretical lessons?" The theoretical framework explored the role of playfulness in the learning process, highlighting the potential of games to foster autonomy, student protagonism, and critical thinking. Two games were applied: MicroMonte, developed by the University of São Paulo (USP), and Who Am I? Cell Edition, adapted by the author. These were implemented after theoretical lessons on cell structure, cell cycle, endosymbiosis theory, and the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The methodology included two theoretical classes followed by the game sessions and a final questionnaire. Results showed that, although the games contributed to student motivation and content reinforcement, the limited class time and school conditions hindered full application. The simpler, adapted game, Who Am I? Cell Edition proved to be more effective due to its ease of use and alignment with classroom constraints. It is concluded that educational games are valuable tools in science education, particularly when used with careful planning and adapted to the specific realities of public schools. For their pedagogical potential to be fully realized, infrastructure, time constraints, and teacher training must be considered.