O processo da quadrangulação: uma nova perspectiva metodológica no ensino de ciências

Abstract

The use of didactic models in Science Education can collaborate with the representation of chemical knowledge, brings students closer to the content developed in the classroom, and qualify the students learning processes. This work aims to check the efficiency of the Quadrangulation method for teaching physical and chemical transformations of matter, to make the study of this theme more attractive to students, and to collaborate with Science Teaching in schools. The development of this methodology came about through the studies of professor and researcher Alex H. Johnstone, who in 1982 was the first to deal with the three levels of representation in the teaching of chemistry (macro, submicro and symbolic), a method called Triangulation. The activities were carried out with eight students from the 1st year high school students in 10 weeks (aged between 15 and 17 years). The research developed was a cross-sectional study (FILHO, 1998), from an exploratory and explanatory qualitative approach (MOREIRA, 2011). Questionnaires were used as the research tool. The activities took place as follows: a) Application of the pre-test questionnaire, b) Expository class, c) Construction of didactic material by students, d) Application of the post-test questionnaire. According to the answers, it was possible to verify that the students, in general, were dedicated to answering the proposed questions. In this sense, it can be observed that through the use of the methodology developed in this work, the students had a significant advance in the understanding of chemical concepts to explain day-to-day phenomena, and also in the way they were excited to learn Science through the new proposal. Thus, it can be observed that the student (A1) exhibited a greater emphasis on scientific terms in his answers, while the student (A2) used the chemistry of everyday life to explain scientific knowledge. The student (A3) minimally improved his comprehension in the post-test. On the other hand, students (A4), (A5), and (A7) had difficulties to develop their explanations, both in the pre- test and in the post-test questionnaire. Finally, students (A1), (A6), and (A8) stood out in understanding the phenomena in the post-test questionnaire. Based on the outcome of the data analysis, it was revealed that the Quadrangulation process can collaborate with the teaching and learning of students in the study of the transformations of the matter.