Introdução à física no ensino fundamental: tecnologia e experimentação para aprendizagem significativa no ensino de ciências

Abstract

This work arose from the intention to promote the use of technologies and experimentation so that through potentially significant activities we achieve an expressive learning in physics teaching for students of the fundamental level students. In this way, our objective was to evaluate through a Potentially Significant Teaching Unit using programming and automation activities in Physics teaching, in order to provide general notions about Sciences. To this end, we instrumentalized the use of electronic spreadsheets and experiments involving the programming and the use of sensors to promote the teaching of kinematics and thermology. The methodology used merged the relationships of theoretical models and experimental activities through the Unit, with theoretical reference to the meaningful learning of David Ausubel and the epistemological vision of Mario Bunge. The application of our work was in a 9th grade class of Elementary School of the Neli Betemps Municipal School, in the city of Candiota, in Rio Grande del Sul, in which we held seven weekly meetings lasting four hours each. In the first meeting we tried to evaluate the students' previous knowledge regarding logic and programming and we ended up applying a playful activity to apply the knowledge of logic. In the second meeting, the students visited the Campus-Bagé of Federal University of Pampa where they also had a lecture with the Professor of the Physics course and visited some laboratories and were challenged to design a theoretical model on the Bagé / Candiota return trip. In the third meeting they used spreadsheets to calculate travel speeds. In the fourth meeting the students used an experimental apparatus of a ramp in which they verified the variations of speed in the different inclinations of the same one. In the fifth meeting the students remembered the use of some sensors used an automated experiment to measure the temperature of the water in different volumes and different cooling situations, in the end, the students were challenged to refine the experiment using an alarm that triggered at a certain temperature. At the sixth meeting the students visited thecoal-fired power Stationat the city where they could observe the practical applications of water cooling. In the seventh and last meeting the students made an evaluation of the Unit putting their considerations on it. We conclude the trajectory by checking the positive and negative aspects of our work. Analyzing each activity, we verified that the students participated actively, as well as developing all the tasks, they were able to visit the University and also in the coal power station where they could have a more concrete vision about the teaching of Physical.