Studies in astronomy education have shown that socio-cultural factors combine with everyday human experience to create learning difficulties that are unique to this field. The history of astronomy also shows a complex link between science and religion. The foundations of modern astronomy lie in religious beliefs and practices, but over time, in the West, as science grew ever more powerful in explaining the apparently mechanistic processes of nature, the beliefs and understanding associated with scientific explanations came into conflict with those of the Christian church. In Africa, Western religious and scientific beliefs were brought by the missionaries, and imposed onto already existing beliefs systems. From colonial times to the present, Western knowledge has been privileged over local knowledge in African formal schooling. Little recognition has been given to the learning difficulties that may be caused in situations where the knowledge system taught at school is different to that imbibed through home and culture. The difficulties of epistemic access have been highlighted through the development of socio-cultural constructivist theories of learning. This study, which is based on the sociocultural constructivist theories of cultural border crossing and collateral learning, represents an investigation of the learning difficulties experienced by South African first year university students who study a compulsory course in basic astronomy called 'The Earth in Space'. The sample was thus a convenience sample, made up of 191 students who took the course between 2000 and 2004. The investigation was carried out using a pre-instruction questionnaire to record the precourse knowledge of the students. The questions that were asked focused on knowledge related to some of the key concepts in basic astronomy, such as an understanding of the nature of stars, the rotation and revolution of the earth and the phases of the moon. These questions had the dual purpose of benchmarking South African students' knowledge of the scientific explanations for these phenomena against similar international studies, as well as establishing the prevalence of cultural or traditional ideas held by these students. After the course had been completed, a post instruction questionnaire was used to establish students’ views on the difficulties they had experienced in learning in the course. This was followed up by semi-structured interviews with 25 of the students. The data obtained from the questionnaires were analysed using two methods: the first used a deductive coding system where the students’ responses were allocated to chosen categories, i.e. whether they conformed to the explanations of Western Modern Science or to cultural knowledge and beliefs, or both. The second method used a computer software programme, Atlas.ti, where each statement made by the student was recorded and coded, leading to an inductive, fine-grained analysis of their responses. The results from the pre-instruction questionnaire indicated that South African students display similar poor levels of knowledge in this field, to students from other Western and non-Western countries. The explanation for this lies in the fact that understanding the scientific explanations requires the ability to think abstractly, and to be able to construct complex mental models, in situations where the processes involved run counter to normal daily experience. However, the explanations given by the South African students also indicated that there were epistemological and ontological issues, related to conflicting beliefs in terms of culture and religion, which exacerbated the barriers to border crossing in this field. However, the data indicated that students did not find it as difficult to cross the barriers created by cultural or traditional beliefs as those caused by fundamentalist Christian beliefs. The biggest obstacle to learning related to conflict between creationist and scientific accounts of the formation of the Earth and Universe. While this is not unusual, as shown by studies carried out in the United States, where religious students are also affected by the apparent conflict between Christianity and science, the most significant finding of this study related to the existence and extent of this conflict in Black African students. In post-1994 South Africa, the revision of the national education system has resulted in a science curriculum that recognizes 'other ways of knowing'. These refer specifically, however, to Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) rather than religious beliefs. The curriculum does not acknowledge that African ontology is religious. It also does not recognize the duality of this ontology in terms of African Traditional Religion and Christianity, which is the stated religion of the majority of Black South Africans. The findings of this study indicate that because of the nature of African philosophy, religious ways of knowing need to be explicitly acknowledged as one of the 'other ways of knowing'. Such acknowledgement by science teachers and lecturers would help to prevent these different knowledge systems from being discarded or compartmentalized, which was found to lead either to the promotion of scientism, or to the preclusion of meaningful engagement with science.

Students of all ages host a wide variety of scientifically inaccurate ideas and conceptions about everyday astronomical phenomena, such as the seasons, the moon phases, and gravity. The field of Astronomy Education Research has over the last decade experienced an accelerating growth, although the majority of studies have been conducted in the USA. In this work, the 9th grade students of a typical Swedish school were surveyed by means of a questionnaire in order to probe their conceptual understanding of several key concepts in astronomy. In the end, the number of respondents amassed to a total of 90. The results were analyzed with a constructivist approach in light of conceptual change theory and phenomenological primitives. In conjunction to this a postmodern view of the problem in question is presented. The compiled numbers were compared to the results of American high school students found in the large database of A Private Universe Project. The two samples were found to display only minor differences. Most notably, only around one in ten Swedish students could correctly account for the origin of the seasons, and only a very small percentage could point out the true distance-relation between the Earth and the Moon. In addition, approximately half of the students did not know the reason for why the Moon changes phase, and one in every four or five students believes there are stars between the planets in the Solar system. An analysis of the student sample was also made after separating out students who will obtain further education in astronomy in upper secondary school. With only one exception, no differences between the groups were found, suggesting that the misconceptions treated in this survey are present among all groups of students up to a certain educational level. However, in the group not intending to study more astronomy an astonishing 72 % had incorrect beliefs regarding the day/night cycle, indicating a possible fundamental lack of conceptual understanding about one of the most everyday astronomy-related concepts.

Submitted by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-23T17:44:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissPCSGS.pdf: 4962933 bytes, checksum: 743628f59c577aa14f19c97309925d35 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-23T17:44:15Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissPCSGS.pdf: 4962933 bytes, checksum: 743628f59c577aa14f19c97309925d35 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-23T17:44:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissPCSGS.pdf: 4962933 bytes, checksum: 743628f59c577aa14f19c97309925d35 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-23T17:44:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissPCSGS.pdf: 4962933 bytes, checksum: 743628f59c577aa14f19c97309925d35 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-14 / Não recebi financiamento / This research presents results of an investigation of educational pedagogy done with a group of second grade students from an Elementary School. The investigation involved observations of the Moon and educational activities used to teach about Moon phases. An overview of the academic literature on the teaching of the theme of the Moon and its phases was conducted, with a bibliographical review of theses and dissertations, journal articles, papers presented at selected conferences, and some international papers on this topic. From the literature review, it was found that there are few studies that actually address of how observation of the Moon in the sky can be used to effectively teach Moon phases to elementary school students. In this study, students observed and recorded the appearance of the Moon and its place in the sky through drawings. The drawings included the position of the Moon relative to the horizon and used observations made at the school and at their homes during part of a lunar month. Using these initial Moon observations and the student drawings, there were discussions in the classroom designed to consolidate student knowledge. In this research, the data were obtained through interviews, class records, and student observations notebooks. A control group was not used. The researcher was also the teacher of the class where the research was developed. The student observations made it possible for the students to perceive the Moon's apparent motion, as well as its change of appearance over several nights. Through classroom discussions centered on the observations, it was clear that the observations helped develop student concept knowledge of Moon phases that would be difficult to develop from classroom experiences that did not include observations. This experiential connection from the observation of the Moon fostered a relationship with the knowledge implied to the reality of nature. For the initial years, in the Astronomy teaching, this is an important link that can promote the learning of such contents, from the senses of the child and the teacher intervention in a flexible and open way. / Esta pesquisa apresenta resultados de uma investigação desenvolvida com uma turma de alunos do segundo ano do Ensino Fundamental envolvendo a observação da Lua. Inicialmente, com o objetivo de apresentar um panorama das pesquisas sobre o tema Lua e suas fases, foi feita uma revisão bibliográfica a partir de teses e dissertações, artigos de periódicos, trabalhos apresentados em eventos selecionados e alguns trabalhos internacionais. Como resultado, verificou-se que poucos são os trabalhos que utilizam a observação da Lua no céu como parte da metodologia para o ensino e a aprendizagem do tema. Como objetivo de pesquisa, foi proposta e estudada uma metodologia na qual os alunos observaram e registraram a Lua por meio de desenhos, incluindo o horizonte, na escola e em suas casas, ao longo de parte de uma lunação. Priorizando a observação do céu, a partir dos desenhos, houve discussões em sala que foram conduzidas objetivando a sistematização do conhecimento. Com uma pesquisa experimental, sem grupo de controle, os dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevistas, registros de aulas e cadernos de observações dos alunos. A pesquisadora também foi a professora da turma onde a pesquisa foi desenvolvida. A observação do céu possibilitou a percepção pelos alunos do movimento aparente da Lua, bem como sua mudança de aspecto ao longo de várias noites. Por meio das discussões em sala de aula, com o uso dos registros, foi evidenciado que o conhecimento da observação desenvolve um saber a partir da vivência que transcende os limites dados ao conteúdo em sala de aula, possibilitando discussões pouco valorizadas no ensino da Lua e suas fases. Essa conexão experiencial a partir da observação da Lua fomenta uma relação com o conhecimento implicado à realidade da natureza. Para os anos iniciais, no ensino de Astronomia, esta é uma vinculação importante que pode promover a aprendizagem de tais conteúdos, a partir dos sentidos da criança e da intervenção docente de modo flexível e aberto.

Submitted by FABIANA ANDRADE DE OLIVEIRA null (anafabi.ufms@gmail.com) on 2016-12-02T17:47:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_Fabiana final.pdf: 1471587 bytes, checksum: bd3d8d957ce22f22a6e2cb7ee20840b9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-12-06T11:34:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 oliveira_fa_me_bauru.pdf: 1471587 bytes, checksum: bd3d8d957ce22f22a6e2cb7ee20840b9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-06T11:34:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 oliveira_fa_me_bauru.pdf: 1471587 bytes, checksum: bd3d8d957ce22f22a6e2cb7ee20840b9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-11 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A presença de dificuldades associadas ao ensino de astronomia nas escolas, a falta de contato de professores com esta Ciência durante a formação inicial e a necessidade de formar indivíduos cientes a respeito do céu noturno, levaram a necessidade de um curso de formação continuada com ênfase na observação do céu. Esta pesquisa envolve o estudo de um curso de formação continuada em astronomia com relação ao desenvolvimento profissional reflexivo de professores. Nesse sentido, buscamos responder à questão principal: Que indícios do desenvolvimento de práticas reflexivas emergem durante um curso de formação continuada em astronomia? Com efeito, os movimentos realizados em prol de um diálogo entre teoria e prática deram-se a partir do trabalho colaborativo entre os professores e pesquisadora, sendo o processo reflexivo sustentado sob três aspectos: uma situação prática desses professores, reflexões em coletivo e apresentação de pesquisas acadêmicas sobre ensino de astronomia. Os dados foram constituídos a partir de um questionário e grupos focais realizados em dois encontros com os professores. Apoiando-se metodologicamente na Análise de Conteúdo, os resultados apontam para indícios da contribuição do curso com relação ao desenvolvimento de práticas reflexivas. Dessa forma, ultimamos que as condições de reflexão em coletivo mostraram-se efetivas ao permitir que situações reais de ensino fossem discutidas e estudadas entre os pares, possibilitando também o envolvimento dos professores nas decisões em relação ao curso. Alguns deles acreditam que as teorias não atendem às suas necessidades formativas, uma vez que estão distantes dos problemas que vivenciam na prática. Em contrapartida, outros professores entendem que há fatores limitantes quanto às condições de estudo e melhorias profissionais. Na visão de alguns professores as atividades práticas desenvolvidas ao longo dos encontros foram relevantes, pois consistem em estratégias e metodologias que viabilizam a abordagem da astronomia no contexto da sala de aula. Os resultados desta pesquisa mostram que os professores apresentam preocupações de ordem prática, relacionadas ao contexto da sala de aula e à aprendizagem dos alunos. / There are some difficulties associated with the teaching of astronomy in schools, the lack of contact of teachers with this Science during initial formation and the need to train individuals aware of the night sky, led to the need for a continuing education course with emphasis on watching the sky. This research involves the study of a continuing astronomy training course in relation to the reflective professional development of teachers. In this sense, we seek to answer the main question: What signs of the development of reflexive practices emerge during a course of continuing formation in astronomy? In fact, the movements carried out in favor of a dialogue between theory and practice were based on collaborative work between teachers and researcher, and the reflexive process was sustained under three aspects: a practical situation of these teachers, reflections in collective and presentation of Academic research on astronomy teaching. The data were constituted from a questionnaire and focus groups conducted in two meetings with the teachers. By supporting methodologically in Content Analysis, the results point to indications of the course's contribution to the development of reflective practices. Thus, we conclude that the conditions of collective reflection have proved to be effective in allowing real teaching situations to be discussed and studied among peers, thus enabling the involvement of teachers in decisions related to the course. Some of them believe that the theories do not meet their training needs, since they are far from the problems they experience in practice. On the other hand, other teachers understand that there are limiting factors regarding the conditions of study and professional improvements. In the view of some teachers, the practical activities developed during the meetings were relevant, since they consist of strategies and methodologies that enable the approach of astronomy in the context of the classroom. The results of this research show that teachers present practical concerns related to the context of the classroom and student learning.

Science dissemination has unquestioned role on intermediate science and society and it is a wide subject of research in education, considering that the construction of knowledge flows in different spaces, and, consequently, produces and disseminates representations. It presents as a motivator for reflection and as a necessary tool to prevent that knowledge do not become synonymous with domination and power. Thereby, the Astronomy assumes a remarkable role as a trigger of scientific dissemination process, due to its interdisciplinary character. From this viewpoint and the theoretical and methodological framework of the Theory of Social Representations (TRS), grounded by Serge Moscovici, this research, qualitative in nature, seek to answer: What are the social representations about scientific dissemination of Brazilian researchers that act in the field of astronomy? The work was based on Longhini, Gomide and Fernandes (2013) research, which delineate the Brazilian scientific community involved in Astronomy, identifying two groups of researchers with different training paths: one with postgraduate in education and related fields, and other with postgraduate in Physics or Astronomy. Thus, this study had the subquestion: Does the researchers of these groups have different conceptions about the practices of science dissemination? A sample was composed of six subjects, three of each formative course, who participated in semi-structured interviews analyzed following the steps outlined by Spink (2012). The results show that the science dissemination is part of the researches schedule s, with a positive image relative to promote scientific knowledge to population and similar on practical approach between the two groups. Point to two social representations of science dissemination: one for society in general, moved by passion, anchored in values and beliefs, in satisfaction of seeing the results that their actions bring to people's lives; and the other to their pairs. Regarding the first, the core of this work, emerge gaps that hinder the practice of science dissemination, such as lack of professionalism and difficulty of using language accessible to the lay public; the lack of appreciation, so far, of the area and the bureaucracy required in the execution of projects, which come from institutions and sponsoring agencies, and the negative representation about the media, in general, are added to the list of obstacles, inferring that science dissemination is a paradigm in construction. Other considerations are that astronomy is not part of basic education systematic way or the media in general and, not infrequently, in these areas, this science presents with misconceptions. And there is an intersection between science education and science dissemination, wherein the researcher must approach to the elementary school teachers and the population. There is an indication of expanding non-formal spaces of education and the creation of a specific policy for Astronomy. In short, the found representations ponder some of the concerns currently present in society and that are echoed in the theoretical framework of this study, demonstrating that, in Brazil, despite advances, in general, science dissemination, science education, and, specifically, Astronomy Education, are in a social fragility context. / A divulgação científica tem função inconteste na intermediação entre ciência e sociedade e é um campo fértil de investigação na educação, considerando que a construção do conhecimento flui em diferentes espaços, e, consequentemente, produz e dissemina representações. Apresenta-se como terreno motivador à reflexão e como ferramenta necessária para impedir que o conhecimento não seja sinônimo de dominação e poder. Nesse prisma, a Astronomia assume papel relevante como desencadeadora do processo de divulgação científica, devido ao seu caráter interdisciplinar. Sob esse olhar e à luz do referencial teórico-metodológico da Teoria das Representações Sociais (TRS), fundamentada por Serge Moscovici, esta pesquisa, de natureza qualitativa, buscou responder: Quais as representações sociais sobre divulgação científica de pesquisadores brasileiros que atuam no campo da Astronomia? O trabalho teve como base a pesquisa de Longhini, Gomide e Fernandes (2013), que mapearem a comunidade científica brasileira envolvida com a Astronomia, identificando dois grupos de pesquisadores com diferentes trajetórias formativas: um com pós-graduação em Educação e áreas afins e outro com pós-graduação em Física ou Astronomia. Assim, este estudo teve como subquestão: Os pesquisadores desses grupos têm concepções diferenciadas sobre as práticas da divulgação científica? Foi composta uma amostra de seis sujeitos, sendo três de cada trajetória formativa, que participaram de entrevistas semiestruturadas analisadas conforme os passos sugeridos por Spink (2012). Os resultados mostram que a divulgação científica faz parte da agenda dos pesquisadores, com uma representação positiva em relação a divulgar conhecimento científico à população e similar na abordagem prática entre os dois grupos. Apontam para duas representações sociais da divulgação científica: uma para sociedade em geral, movida pela paixão, ancorada em valores e crenças, na satisfação de ver os resultados que suas ações trazem à vida das pessoas; e outra para os seus pares. No que tange à primeira, âmago deste trabalho, emergem lacunas que obstaculizam a prática da divulgação científica, como a falta de profissionalização e a dificuldade de utilizar linguagem acessível ao público leigo; a falta, até então, de valorização da área e a burocracia exigida na execução de projetos, advinda das instituições e agências de fomento, e a representação negativa sobre a mídia, em geral, somam-se à lista dos obstáculos, inferindo-se que a divulgação científica é um paradigma em construção. Outras considerações são que a Astronomia não faz parte de forma sistemática do ensino básico e nem da mídia em geral e, não raro, nesses âmbitos, essa ciência apresenta-se com erros conceituais. E que existe uma intersecção entre a educação científica e a divulgação científica, sendo que o pesquisador deve se aproximar dos professores do ensino básico e da população. Há a indicação de se expandir espaços não formais de educação e da criação de uma política específica para a Astronomia. Em suma, as representações ora encontradas ponderam algumas das preocupações presentes atualmente na sociedade e que encontram eco no corpo teórico deste trabalho, demonstrando que, no Brasil, apesar dos avanços, de modo em geral, a divulgação científica, a educação em ciências e, especificamente, a Educação em Astronomia, encontram-se num contexto de fragilidade social. / Doutor em Educação

Submitted by Rosangela Silva (rosangela.silva3@unioeste.br) on 2018-05-11T14:15:18Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Denise Fontanella.pdf: 2395462 bytes, checksum: 210a17aebc28558f8b52fb52afe48c45 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-11T14:15:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Denise Fontanella.pdf: 2395462 bytes, checksum: 210a17aebc28558f8b52fb52afe48c45 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-27 / Being a gift astronomy content as a structural theme in elementary school and to be part of our everyday research is justified to talk about teacher training for teaching astronomy in a non formal space. The research aimed to investigate the characteristics and implications of a course for teacher training related to Astronomy Teaching conducted by Polo Astronomical Casimiro Montenegro Filho. The study, qualitative, as north had a critical review of the literature in the area and the analysis of the speeches of the participants of the course teachers collected through questionnaires and interviews, as well as the analysis of the constitution of the course itself, these information collected through audiovisual recordings of classes. Data were analyzed based on the theory of Bardin content analysis (1977) and point out that when it comes to astronomy content teachers have many difficulties because they have initial or continuing education quality. Moreover, conceptual errors and misconceptions were detected in issues related to astronomy for us researchers and also by teachers during participation in the course. The data indicate difficulties in teacher education in relation to the area of Astronomy, however, point us suggestions to alleviate these difficulties, such as the course for teacher training in Astronomy, which proved to be an ally of the teacher to work contents, methodologies and potentially usable resources in the classroom to assist the teacher in the process of teaching and learning. / Por ser a Astronomia um conteúdo presente como tema estruturante no Ensino Fundamental e por fazer parte do nosso cotidiano a pesquisa se justifica ao falar sobre a formação de professores para o ensino de Astronomia em um espaço não formal. A pesquisa teve como principal objetivo investigar as características e implicações de um curso para a formação docente referente ao Ensino de Astronomia realizado pelo Polo Astronômico Casimiro Montenegro Filho. O estudo, de natureza qualitativa, teve como norte uma revisão crítica da literatura na área e pela análise dos discursos dos professores participantes do curso coletados por meio de questionários e entrevistas, bem como a análise da constituição do próprio curso, informações estas coletadas através de gravações audiovisuais das aulas. Os dados coletados foram analisados à luz da teoria da análise de conteúdo de Bardin (1977) e nos apontam que em se tratando de conteúdos de Astronomia os professores apresentam muitas dificuldades por não terem formação inicial ou continuada de qualidade. Além disso, foram detectados erros conceituais e concepções alternativas em questões relacionadas à Astronomia por nós pesquisadores e também pelos próprios professores durante a participação no curso. Os dados indicam dificuldades na formação docente em relação à área de Astronomia, contudo, apontam-nos sugestões para amenizar essas dificuldades, como é o caso do curso para formação de professores em Astronomia, que se revelou um aliado do professor ao trabalhar conteúdos, metodologias e recursos potencialmente utilizáveis em sala de aula para auxiliar o professor no processo de ensino e aprendizagem.

Sammanfattning De flesta barn fängslas och visar intresse för temat rymden och finner vanligtvis att det är ett mycket intressant ämne. Fokusgruppen har varit elever i årskurs 4-6 och efter några större bortfall var det slutligen elever ifrån 8 klasser som deltog, totalt 94 elever. Eleverna fick svara på en enkät där eleverna i både text och bild bland annat fick förklara hur de trodde att objekten i sol–jord–månsystemet samverkade och rörde sig i förhållande till varandra, vad de placerade i centrum för detta system, hur de såg på orsaken till årstider samt varför vi har dag och natt. De två pedagogerna som undervisade klasserna fick svara på några frågor om hur de såg på undervisningen om astronomi, om den undervisningsmetod de använde sig av och på elevernas lärande och förståelse för ämnet astronomi.    I denna undersökning kunde samma typer av missuppfattningar ses hos dessa elever, som de missuppfattningar som har dykt upp i en rad olika undersökningar som genomförts tidigare år med andra barn ifrån olika länder. Några av de missuppfattningar som fanns hos eleverna i denna undersökning var bland annat att jorden var mittpunkten, något som en femtedel av eleverna visade. Att sol och måne låg i samma omloppsbana runt jorden, årstiderna orsakas av att avståndet till solen förändras och att dag/natt beror på jordens omloppsbana runt solen var några andra missuppfattningar som rådde bland eleverna. Användandet av konkret material och 3D-modeller i undervisningen om rymden tycks vara en viktig del för elevernas förståelse av området.   Nyckelord: undervisning om rymden – astronomiska missförstånd – årstider – dag/natt – omloppsbanor i sol–jord–månsystemet / Abstract Most children find astronomy an interesting subject and usually show an interest during lessons about the subject. The focus group in this paper is Swedish students in school year 4-6. In total there were 94 students from eight classes who answered the survey with simple drawings and explanations about for example how they thought the objects Sun–Earth–Moon orbit each other, which object they placed as the center in this system, what causes season and the reason behind day and night. Two teachers whom educate the students answered some questions about their teaching method, their thoughts about the subject in question and the students learning and understanding of astronomy.   In the study that are presented in this paper the same types of astronomical misconceptions can be seen amongst these students, that has been shown in similar studies of children all over the world. 20 % of the children in this study showed an earth centered Sun–Earth–Moon system. Other misconceptions that were shown was: the sun and the moon shares the same orbit around the earth, that the seasons are caused by the distance to the sun changing and that day and night happens because the earth orbits the sun. The use of concrete material and 3D-models in the education seemed to be important for the students understanding of the subject.   Keywords: Astronomy education – astronomy misconceptions – seasons – day/night – Celestial Motion in the Sun–Earth–Moon system

Orientadora: Prof. Dra. Laura Paulucci Marinho / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Mestrado Nacional Profissional em Ensino de Física - MNPEF, 2016. / O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver e avaliar uma sequência de ensino para o ensino de astronomia, aplicada em uma escola pública do Estado de São Paulo, com alunos do último ano do ensino médio. Nossos estudos iniciais indicaram uma quantidade significativa de trabalhos direcionados para o ensino de astronomia, contudo, poucos são específicos para o ensino da astronomia estelar. A sequência de ensino teve como tema a origem, a evolução e a morte das estrelas. O produto educacional oriundo desta dissertação consistiu na elaboração de um material didático sobre essa temática voltado a auxiliar professores do ensino médio na construção de suas aulas. O referencial teórico utilizado na elaboração das atividades da sequência de ensino e na avaliação de seus resultados foi a Teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa de David Ausubel e os Mapas Conceituais de Novak. Analisando os mapas conceituais construídos pelos alunos antes e após a aplicação da sequência de ensino e também com base em um teste de múltipla escolha, observamos indícios que apontam para uma aprendizagem significativa dos conceitos trabalhados. / The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a teaching sequence for astronomy education that was applied in a public school of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, with students of the final year of high school. In our initial research, we found a significant number of studies directed to astronomy education. However, just a few of them dealt specifically with stellar astronomy. The teaching sequence adopted the origin, evolution and death of stars as theme. The educational product resulting from this dissertation consists of a didactic material set on this subject for high school teachers to use in their classes. The theoretical framework used to prepare the activities of teaching sequence and the evaluation of its results was the Theory of Meaningful Learning by David Ausubel and Concept Maps by Novak. Conceptual maps built by the students before and after the teaching sequence and a multiple-choice test were used as means to evaluateits effectiveness. After analyzing the data, evidences pointing to significant learning of the concepts related to the proposed theme were observed.

Astronomy, the oldest science, besides having a motivating character and great educational potential, it also works as an integrative science, which is possible to empirically verify a large diffusion of conception of common sense referent to astronomic phenomenon. However, there are many errors and the incoherent information presented in the offered didactic books, in schools, by the Plano Nacional do Livro Didático (PNLD), because of it the importance of working with Astronomy science, in the Basic Education, as an instigator manner, since it interacts easily to almost all of the curriculum subjects. In view of that scenery, this study structures and suggests a complementary and innovative didactic proposal to the existing traditional teaching, which is able to reach a meaningful learning to the students, from the previous knowledge they have about Astronomy. Therefore, this proposal was conducted at the 61 and 62 classes of the 6th grade at Escola Municipal de Ensino Fundamental Vicente Farencena, located in Santa Maria RS. The activities were planned to go through the curricular evaluation perspectives of the Science and Geography subjects and developed by the titular professor of this subjects and the study researcher. Each meeting was called by themes covering Astronomy, namely: Astronomy History; Orientation; Earth Planet - phases of the moon; Earth Planet seasons of the year and Solar System, and based on recreational dynamics and practical activities. For the implementation of the activities we used the intraclass method and followed the phases of the David Ausubel‟s Meaningful Learning Theory (1978-2003). The methodological approach was based on the quasi- experimental method, with these evaluative instruments: pre-test for conceptual organization, evaluation of subsumer and advanced organizers; post-test for the quantitative analysis; attitudinal questionnaire in Likert scale of Sciences, to detect the students‟ attitude across the Sciences subject; activities with drawing and subjective questions for the qualitative analysis. The results of this study were able to provide support for the preparation of materials for the Astronomy teaching, in Elementary School, as a practical way, within the school. Other relevant aspects on the curricular development for scientific research inclusion were also approached. / A Astronomia, ciência mais antiga, além de ter caráter motivador e grande potencial educativo, também atua de forma integradora, sendo possível constatar empiricamente uma grande difusão de concepções de senso comum referentes aos fenômenos astronômicos. Porém, são muitos os erros e as informações incoerentes apresentados nos livros didáticos oferecidos, nas escolas, pelo Plano Nacional do Livro Didático (PNLD), por isso a importância de trabalhar a ciência Astronômica, na Educação Básica, de modo instigador, uma vez que interage facilmente com praticamente todas as disciplinas do currículo. Diante desse cenário, este trabalho arquiteta e sugere uma proposta didática complementadora e inovadora à didática tradicional existente, capaz de inferir uma aprendizagem significativa para os alunos, partindo dos conhecimentos prévios que eles possuem sobre Astronomia. Desse modo, essa proposta foi realizada com as turmas 61 e 62, do 6ª ano da Escola Municipal de Ensino Fundamental Vicente Farencena, localizada em Santa Maria - RS. As atividades foram planejadas para ocorrerem dentro das perspectivas de evolução curricular das disciplinas de Ciências e Geografia e desenvolvidas pelo professor titular dessas disciplinas e pelo pesquisador deste estudo. Cada encontro foi intitulado por temas que abrangem a Astronomia, sendo eles: História da Astronomia; Orientação; Planeta Terra fases da lua; Planeta Terra estações do ano e Sistema solar, e baseado em dinâmicas lúdicas e atividades práticas. Para a implementação das atividades, utilizamos o método intraclasse e seguimos as fases da Teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa de David Ausubel (1978 e 2003). A abordagem metodológica foi baseada no método quasi-experimento, com os seguintes instrumentos avaliativos: pré-teste para organização conceitual, avaliação de subsunçores e organizadores prévios; pós-teste para análise quantitativa; questionário atitudinal em escala Likert de Ciências, para detectar atitude dos alunos frente à disciplina de ciências; atividades com desenhos e questões subjetivas para análise qualitativa. Os resultados desta pesquisa foram capazes de fornecer subsídios para a elaboração de materiais para o ensino de Astronomia, no Ensino Fundamental, de forma prática, dentro da escola. Outros aspectos relevantes ao desenvolvimento curricular para inclusão da iniciação científica, nessa etapa escolar, foram também abordados.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:39:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 6429.pdf: 3242637 bytes, checksum: bef3aa612f5d1feb6722d8cd96bdcc15 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-12-09 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / Non-formal education and public communication of science received broad attention around the globe in recent years, which confirms it as a knowledge field with great potential for the formation of a scientific culture and science education. Within this field, Astronomy constitutes a privileged area due to the existence of a network of institutions across the whole country, the specificities of the community of amateur astronomers and the fascination which the subjects provokes in audiences of all ages. Yet, although the community of academics and educators begins to recognize the unique potential of Astronomy in non-formal education and public communication of science, the area has only been growing slowly and in a disperse manner and still remains ill explored and little analyzed. For example: What are the research trends? What are the shortcomings of the existing literature? Driven by this need for exploration, this study sets out to consolidate and enhance the existing knowledge base on the practice of non-formal education and public communication of science in the context of Brazil being the main objectives to: i) systematize and map the scientific literature on non-formal education and public communication of Astronomy in Brazil; ii) identify trends, priorities, gaps and future directions of the field, based on the opinion of a panel of experts of different backgrounds related to the field of non-formal education and public communication of Astronomy in Brazil; iii) integrate the data obtained from the literature review and the outcome of the consultation of experts to outline a comprehensive picture of the area. In order to achieve these objectives we conducted a state-of-the art review and consulted 86 specialists using the Delphi methodology which consists in a series of successive questionnaires. In terms of methodology qualitative analysis in form of content analysis of the questionnaires and the literature and quantitative analysis in form of descriptive statistic were combined. As expected, the results of the state-of the art review confirmed that research in this area is still in its infancy; only 20 articles could be identified being the majority descriptions of activities. However, in terms of institutions, initiatives and activities the area appears to be very active and heterogeneous and people involved show enthusiasm and dedication. Meanwhile, our Delphi reveals the major problems and barriers which have to be overcome to unlock the full potential of Astronomy in the area of science education. It further provides a controlled discussion on possible solutions suggested by the specialists itself. A majority agrees that the creation of an overarching entity, which co-ordinates, supports and unites the community, would be beneficial to the development and spread of the area. The apparent desire to discuss, reflect and act on how to improve the area - as shown by the community - remains to be underlined. Seen the strong involvement in this study of people actively participating in non-formal education and public communication of science, it is argued that one of the major contribution of this study was to foster and nourish this joint reflection. We hope that our results can provide a starting point for further reflections and actions which result in a better understanding of the area. / A Educação Não-Formal (ENF) e a Divulgação Científica (DC) têm um enorme potencial no que toca à formação da cultura científica e educação em ciências. Consequentemente, têm ganhado importância e atenção da comunidade de pesquisadores e atores em educação. Nesse cenário, a Astronomia é um campo privilegiado devido, principalmente, à rede de instituições existentes por todo o país, à singularidade da comunidade de astrônomos amadores e ao fascínio que o tema provoca em públicos de todas as idades. Apesar disso, é uma área que tem crescido timidamente e de maneira dispersa, e que está ainda pouco explorada e analisada. Assim, com o intuito de aprofundar o conhecimento sobre a ENF e DC de Astronomia no contexto brasileiro, propusemos e desenvolvemos uma pesquisa cujos objetivos foram i) Sistematizar e mapear a literatura científica brasileira sobre a temática da ENF e DC de Astronomia; ii) Investigar quais as tendências, prioridades, lacunas e futuras direções do campo, na opinião de um painel de especialistas de diferentes perfis ligados ao campo da ENF e DC de Astronomia no Brasil; iii) Delinear um retrato da área, por meio da complementação entre a revisão bibliográfica e o resultado da consulta aos especialistas. Para isso desenvolvemos uma pesquisa do tipo estado da arte e consultamos 86 especialistas utilizando o método Delphi de questionários sucessivos não presenciais. Em termos metodológicos fizemos análises qualitativas (análise de conteúdo dos questionários e da literatura da área) e quantitativas (estatística descritiva). Os resultados do estado da arte mostram uma área de pesquisa ainda incipiente. Encontramos apenas 20 artigos, sendo a maioria da tipologia relato de experiência. No entanto, em termos de instituições, iniciativas e atividades, a área é ativa e heterogênea e os seus atores revelam entusiasmo e dedicação à mesma. Como resultado, nosso estudo Delphi destaca os problemas mais importantes que precisam ser enfrentados para desbloquear o potencial da Astronomia, assim como discute possíveis soluções para os mesmos, sempre partindo da opinião de um conjunto heterogêneo de especialistas da área. Destacamos que na opinião da maioria, a área beneficiaria com a criação de uma entidade que coordenasse, apoiasse e unisse a comunidade de educadores não-formais e divulgadores de Astronomia. Sublinhamos ainda o anseio que a comunidade de atores da área tem de dialogar, refletir e agir para melhorar a mesma. Tendo em vista que a comunidade de educação não-formal e divulgação de Astronomia esteve bastante representada nesta pesquisa, pode-se dizer que um dos grandes contributos dessa investigação foi promover essa reflexão conjunta de pesquisadores e agentes envolvidos na prática. Esperamos que os resultados encontrados possam ser um ponto de partida para outras reflexões e ações que resultem numa maior compreensão sobre a mesma.