Eletricidade: uma sequência didática para o ensino médio integrado

Abstract

This work is based on the application of a didactic sequence, on the purpose of signifying for first-year students of the Integrated Secondary School, basics Electricity concepts, such as Electric Voltage, Electric Current, Electrical Resistance, Electrical Power and Energy, through activities that allow an active and reflective participation in the construction of knowledge. The instructional sequence was applied in the first year class of Mechatronics course of a Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, in the curricular component of Electricity. It was used as a theoretical framework Ausubel's learning theory, which emphasizes the importance of prior knowledge to occur a significant learning, and the development of Vygotsky's theory, which emphasizes the activities occurring in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) as a way development of higher mental functions. This project is justified by the large number of students from beginners classes with little knowledge in Physics, having difficulty in interpreting situations that require basic math skills and the relationships between physical quantities and not be common electricity in the first study year of high school. The activities were carried out by the students, in pairs and in groups, facilitating the sharing of ideas and mediation. At first, the activities were based on computer simulations. Later, the concepts were worked through experiments with Christmas decorations bulbs. Thirdly, Basic Electronics knowledge and programming were used in experiments involving a microcontroller, giving the opportunity to start the circuit assembly. We used the methodology of content analysis (PORTO, SIMÕES and MOREIRA, 2005) to interpret the data gathered during the research on the feasibility and validity of the implemented educational proposal. Valuing the participation in the proposed activities for this building concepts, discussions of the theory involved in each activity and reports produced by these activities, taking as its starting, what these students bring as prior knowledge. Making use of qualitative means, we evaluated the relevance and viability of this educational product for the Electricity study in the first year of the Integrated High School in courses that require knowledge in electricity, the Federal Institutes. The work is summarized in educational production attached to this dissertation and that constitutes a valuable contribution to the development of electricity content, due to the sequence with which content were treated (simulation, experimentation and projects with microcontrollers).