A divulgação científica na Amazônia: um estudo sobre iniciativas de difusão e popularização de ciência e tecnologia da Universidade Federal do Pará

Abstract

The act of disseminating science has undergone numerous transformations over the years. Among these transformations, the social, educational and cultural dimension of scientific communication was gradually reformulated to combine the diffusion of ancient, classic and contemporary scientific knowledge to contribute to the formation of citizens, more critical and active, aware of human social evolution. After assuming an educational role with a democratic scope, the spaces for scientific dissemination also began to reinvent themselves, improving their techniques to disseminate and relate different themes of scientific knowledge. The Museums and Science Centers are among the spaces for the popularization of science through which most new educational activities emerge daily. In order to reach different types of audiences, different methodologies and pedagogical trends underlie the educational activities, which transit through the use of interactive exhibitions, lectures, workshops, short courses, among others. In Brazil, most of the institutions that promote educational activities for scientific dissemination are in the major capitals, mainly in the South and Southeast. The Brazilian Amazon is home to museums and science centers, even if in smaller numbers when compared to the South and Southeast regions, which operate with public activities that have great relevance in the educational scenario of the region. Thus, research that analyzes and communicates these scientific dissemination practices carried out in the Amazon community become fundamental to contribute to the improvement of education at regional and national level. Aiming to initiate a movement for the study of Museums and Science Centers in the Brazilian Amazon, this dissertation on aggregation of scientific articles with integrative text aimed to present the educational actions promoted by the extension initiatives Demonstration’s Laboratory, Astronomy Nucleus, Physics Interactive Museum and Physics and Technology for the School of the Federal University of Pará, exploring and highlighting the importance and contribution of these practices to social and economic, regional and national development. Finally, the articles published during the development of this research, within the scope of the theme of university extension at the Federal University of Pará, are presented as a product of the professional master’s degree and aim to motivate the emergence of scientific dissemination initiatives in several Brazilian regions, especially in the Amazon.