Física e Neurociência: uma proposta de oficina interdisciplinar no Ensino Médio

Abstract

Cognitive Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary area that combines Neuroscience, Psychology and other disciplines to investigate the cognitive processes of the brain. Physics plays an important role in understanding the synapse, which is the point of communication between neurons. The synapse involves the conversion of electrical signals into chemical signals and vice-versa, and this interaction is governed by physical laws such as Ohm's law and Coulomb's law. The interdisciplinarity between Physics and Neuroscience is essential to understand cognitive processes and the underlying neuronal mechanisms. In this context, the question arises of how to relate the teaching of electricity with Neuroscience in High School. Thus, the general objective of this project was to understand how an interdisciplinary workshop between Physics and Neuroscience could help in the teaching and learning of physical concepts in high school. In this context, the research adopted a qualitative approach of the exploratory case study type, which sought to understand the experiences, perceptions and meanings of the students involved in the implementation of the workshop "How do Neurons talk to each other? The Physics behind the Synapse". Various data sources were used, such as questionnaires, observations, audiovisual recordings and pre- and post-workshop assessments. The workshop's teaching methodology included teaching resources, experiments, videos, slide presentations and group discussions to promote interaction and understanding of concepts. The results of the analysis indicate that the workshop was a positive experience and that the students learned a lot from it. Evidence of significant learning obtained through student responses indicates that they were able to understand the basic concepts covered in the workshop. Furthermore, the workshop contributed to a better understanding of the interdisciplinarity between Neuroscience and Physics, as well as to the improvement of educational practices, aligning with the objectives of the BNCC and promoting education based on scientific evidence and aimed at the integral development of students.