Investigando o uso de laboratórios virtuais no ensino de química: potencialidades e percepções de professores do ensino médio

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are increasingly present in different areas of people's lives, including the educational context. These technologies have made a positive contribution to the teaching of various subjects, such as chemistry, where the use of ICT allows teachers and students to gain practical experience through simulated experiments, as chemistry is an experimental science. More recently, the use of virtual laboratories has emerged, allowing practical experimentation through a digital platform and contributing to more effective and meaningful learning, even when physical resources are scarce. In this context, this research aims to investigate the contribution of the use of virtual laboratories to the meaningful learning of chemistry in high school. Specifically, this study aimed to: (i) highlight the state of the art in the use of virtual laboratories in the teaching of chemistry; (ii) identify software, applications and websites that simulate virtual laboratories for the teaching of chemistry; (iii) understand the perception of teachers of the State Education Network of Ceará about the use of virtual laboratories in the teaching of chemistry; and (iv) propose an educational product, in the form of a didactic sequence, focused on the use of virtual laboratories in the teaching of high school chemistry. To this end, this research was developed in three stages: the first stage consisted of a systematic review of the literature; the second stage consisted of a field research with teachers involved in the teaching of chemistry at high school level; and the third stage consisted of the elaboration of an educational product with proposals for the use of virtual laboratories in the teaching of chemistry at high school level. The results showed that virtual laboratories are a complementary tool that enriches the teaching-learning process, especially in schools without adequate resources for experimental teaching. However, it is essential that they do not completely replace practical experience in physical laboratories. Continued training of teachers in the use of these technologies is essential, as is the search for strategies that involve students in the teaching-learning process. The proposed educational product will serve as a framework for secondary school teachers to integrate chemistry experiments into their teaching using digital resources. The research also contributes to public education policies and highlights the potential of virtual laboratories in democratisation of chemistry education.