Contribuições da teoria de Baruch Spinoza para o ensino de ciências: ver o mundo com os olhos de uma criança

Abstract

The present research was born before the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, but the reality of the pandemic confirmed, as a historical process within Sciences, in this research, because it was the moment when understanding the importance of scientific knowledge, scientific production, access to knowledge by all social strata, as a fundamental tool in combating and addressing anti-scientific actions, such as antiscience fake news, was crucial. The moment called for an understanding of perceptions about Sciences. Thus, this research focused on its general objective of verifying the perceptions of students in the first and fifth grades of elementary school, based on the contributions of Baruch Spinoza's theory to Science Education. The research was conducted in a school in the state network of Uruguaiana, RS, located in a peripheral area of the city. Its audience belongs to the lower classes residing in this locality. The present research is basic, with an exploratory bias in its objectives, and regarding the technical procedure, it is a case study, and finally, in terms of approach, it is qualitative. Among the main results, we highlight: the importance of emotions and collective spirit in the learning process, which are essential for student engagement and for expanding perspectives on different knowledge; that spaces for questioning, reflection, and research allow students to overcome superstitious thinking and guide them towards scientific rationality through experimentation; the fundamental role of Sciences in overcoming anti-scientific actions in society; and finally, no less important, the need for training, from the perspective of professional teacher development, in service, regarding the importance of Science and the creation of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary activities.