Proposta de uma sequência didática baseada no experimento de Eratóstenes para o ensino de física na educação básica

Abstract

This dissertation aims to investigate the pedagogical potential of a Teaching and Learning Sequence (TLS), grounded in Jerome Bruner’s Theory of Discovery Learning and structured around the Eratosthenes experiment, as a tool for teaching Physics and Astronomy in Basic Education. The study was carried out in the context of a public school within the State Education Network of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, and implemented with a third-year high school class, in articulation with the Eratosthenes Brazil Project. The research is characterized by a mixed-methods approach, with a predominance of qualitative analysis, and is configured as a didactic-pedagogical classroom intervention. The TLS was designed based on the enactive, iconic, and symbolic modes of representation proposed by Bruner, seeking to promote the progressive construction of scientific concepts, the articulation between empirical observation, geometric modeling, and mathematical abstraction, as well as the development of students’ intellectual autonomy and scientific thinking. Data were collected through a diagnostic assessment, group-based investigative activities, written records, and a final assessment, enabling the analysis of students’ initial conceptions, learning processes, and evidence of conceptual reconstruction throughout the sequence. The results indicate that students initially exhibited limited prior knowledge of astronomy and of the Eratosthenes experiment, particularly regarding the understanding of the Earth’s shape and dimensions and the geometric relationships involved. However, participation in the proposed activities fostered greater engagement, conceptual understanding, and the ability to apply knowledge to problem-solving situations, indicating progress in the integration of theory and practice. It is concluded that the Eratosthenes experiment constitutes a significant pedagogical resource for Physics teaching, as it enables an investigative, interdisciplinary, and historically contextualized approach, aligned with the principles of discovery learning and with contemporary demands in science education.