Ensino do espectro da luz a partir da construção de redes históricas

Abstract

This work presents the proposal and evaluation of an educational product focused on developing students' skills to understand aspects of the Nature of Science (NoS). The historical study centers on visible and invisible electromagnetic waves and photography, mainly exploring the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. To this end, we adopted a methodology based on the construction and analysis of historical networks, offering a teaching model that positions students as protagonists in an investigative process. Students are organized into research groups, with the teacher acting as a facilitator of this collaborative learning experience. Understanding science as a human endeavor, situated within specific historical, social, and cultural contexts, is a fundamental guideline emphasized in the main educational policy documents in Brazil, such as the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC). In high school education, this perspective is especially relevant in Physics teaching, a subject often presented in a decontextualized and overly technical manner. By incorporating the Nature of Science approach, it becomes possible to promote a more critical, reflective, and meaningful understanding of scientific knowledge, highlighting its procedural, provisional, and human dimensions. In this context, scientific historiography stands out as an effective pedagogical tool, as it enables students to understand how knowledge has been constructed over time in dialogue with society and culture. By exploring historical episodes, scientific controversies, and the trajectories of scientists, Physics teaching gains depth and relevance, fostering the development of scientific thinking and scientific literacy within the school environment. To provide a solid theoretical foundation and support the implementation of the educational product, the dissertation also explores the concept of social networks, detailing their components and potential, with a focus on establishing relationships in complex systems within historical episodes. As an example, we present a study on the emergence of infrared radiation (IR), the concept of spectroscopy and radio astronomy, treating scientific knowledge as a network and highlighting the interactions between human and non-human actors throughout this historical process. This analysis allows for the exploration of various aspects of the Nature of Science, promoting a broader understanding of scientific development. Throughout the work, we present the details of the adopted methodology, the practical application of the educational product, and the results obtained, offering a reflection on the effectiveness of the proposal in Physics education and in understanding science as a dynamic and interconnected process.