Práticas epistêmicas e ensino por investigação : uma análise do ensino de magnetismo em um Clube de Ciências

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the moments of epistemic practices of students participating in the Prof. Cristovam W. P. Diniz Science Club, which develops actions related to the approach of Teaching by Inquiry in Basic Education. Thus, the Investigative Teaching Sequence (ITS) “Investigating Magnetism” was applied, divided into two meetings, addressing concepts of magnetism and their applications. Our research question was to investigate how the epistemic practices of students participating in the Science Club manifest themselves during investigative activities on concepts of magnetism? Verifying how argumentation presents itself as an epistemic practice and the epistemic movements of teacher-monitors to conduct investigative activities. Participants were students from the 3rd to 8th year of Elementary School and volunteer teacher-monitors at the club. The research is characterized as qualitative, applied in nature and with characteristics of participatory research. The empirical material was mainly composed of video and audio recordings of the investigative activities. The analysis movement resulted in three systematic categories: pedagogical variables of teacher mediation (a priori); students' procedural and conceptual variables (a priori); and Elements of Epistemic Practices associated with students' everyday (a posteriori). From this, the incidence of various aspects of Epistemic Practices was observed in the moments analyzed, mainly related to the practices of knowledge production based on the raising of hypotheses, construction of data, planning and articulation of knowledge. There was also an incidence of ommunication practices using mainly argumentation, description and explanation. In relation to epistemic movements, their presence can be seen throughout the investigation process, mainly in the elaboration and re-elaboration of questions to guide the students' resolution of the problem.