A inovação em química e as suas articulações com a química da Educação Básica: processos de mediação didática de temáticas inovadoras

Abstract

Science is in a process of constant transformation, aiming, among other things, at the construction of new knowledge, and related to innovation in terms of the search for novelties in order to promote improvements to systems. In order to actually promote quality gains through the formulation of new products, services, and methodologies, it is important that this new knowledge reaches society, and this can occur through an articulation between scientific and school knowledge. In this sense, the objective of this thesis is to understand and analyze the articulation of innovation between school chemical knowledge and scientific knowledge in Chemistry. The methodology involved: analysis of scientific articles in the area of Chemistry, seeking to identify and understand some of the innovative themes in Science; analysis of official documents that guide High School Education, seeking to understand what is considered innovation in Education; and the case study of contexts in which processes of teaching innovative chemical knowledge themes for the school context occurred, considering and analyzing their implications, based on discursive textual analysis. The results obtained from the analysis of articles pointed to research topics related to the development of nanomaterials, chemical catalysis, electrochemistry, use of metals in chemistry, among others, which emerge in a context of possible applications aimed at the care and preservation of the environment, human health, obtaining renewable sources of fuel and energy, and the construction of new and improved materials, in which innovations respond to current social demands. In the educational context, through the analysis of the selected official documents, innovation is represented not only as the possibility of creating a new product, method or strategy, but also as an act of readjustment and reconstruction, in order to contribute to the comprehensive education of students. Finally, by following a process of didactic mediation of innovative scientific knowledge for the school context, three categories emerged. The first category that emerged from the analysis establishes the defense of this thesis, by describing important stages of work with innovative themes in the school context; in addition to guidelines regarding how to structure the work that should be based on daily life, chemical concepts, innovation itself and the debate of social issues; as well as the great help provided by the establishment of a support network among those working in schools, universities and research centers. In the second category, there are some notes that indicated difficulties in working with innovation in schools. And finally, in the third category, the potential of the didactic mediation process carried out was highlighted. As final considerations, we emphasize that this thesis is consolidated in the indicated path – a sequence of non-linear stages – for working with scientific innovation in schools, which is still little disseminated, in addition to having provided important definitions on the conceptualization of the theme of innovation.