O CAMPO CONCEITUAL DO ELETROMAGNETISMO A PARTIR DE UMA UNIDADE DE ENSINO UTILIZANDO ATIVIDADES EXPERIMENTAIS

Abstract

In the context of Basic Education, especially in High School, mastering the conceptual field of electromagnetism is essential for understanding Physics content and interpreting the use of technologies present in students’ daily lives. This research investigated how a Potentially Meaningful Teaching Unit (UEPS), structured around experimental activities, can promote meaningful learning of concepts related to electromagnetism among second-year high school students. The theoretical framework is based on the Theory of Meaningful Learning and the Theory of Conceptual Fields, which guided both the construction of the UEPS and the data analysis. A qualitative approach was adopted, focusing on the analysis of the meanings constructed by students through the mobilization of their prior knowledge and its articulation with new understandings. The dissertation was structured into four studies. The first conducted a systematic literature review aimed at identifying trends and gaps in didactic proposals involving experimental activities in electromagnetism teaching. The second investigated students’ prior knowledge through an experimental activity, identifying diverse conceptual forms and schemes, as well as elements of common sense that hinder learning. The third analyzed conceptual development during an activity focused on building the concept of a magnetic field, observing the mobilization of operative invariants. The fourth examined the effects of a more elaborate experimental activity, associated with step five of the UEPS, on the construction and consolidation of meanings related to electromagnetic phenomena. Finally, the results show that the UEPS, by articulating experimental activities with problem situations and mediated interventions, significantly contributed to students’ conceptual mastery of electromagnetism content, promoting meaningful learning and the advancement of their cognitive schemes.