Chemical knowledge learning mediated by the use of experiments and didactic game

Abstract

The teaching of chemistry in the early years of elementary school is extremely important, as it is at this level that the first notions of science are built, as well as the basis for concepts that will be worked on later. The present work aimed to investigate whether the adoption of experimentation associated with the use of investigative didactic games helped in the learning of the structuring concepts substance and chemical transformation by Pedagogy students, future teachers of the initial years. The research the was performed during the discipline Chemistry and Methodology for Teaching Science, taught to two classes at the University of the State of Pará. To assess the occurrence of learning, participants answered a likert form and an essay question. The textual corpus obtained was processed in the Iramuteq Software using Descending Hierarchical Classification (CHD) and Similitude Analysis (AS) methods. The data were interpreted in the light of the theoretical framework. CHD divisions were categorized as “Learning about chemical concepts” and “Understandings about chemical transformation of matter”, from which emerged the understanding of the macro and microscopic aspects of the studied phenomena. The similarity graph pointed out that the resources facilitated the construction of knowledge by pedagogues in initial training. With the integrated assessment, considering the degree of agreement and disagreement on the analyzed assertions, it was evidenced that the diversification of strategies, adequate materials, teacher mediation and accessible language, aroused interest, curiosity and predisposition for meaningful learning about knowledge exploited chemicals.