Gameficação no ensino de Biologia: o que pensam os professores?

Abstract

Education in Brazil is facing a crisis of motivation, with declining pass rates and an increase in school dropouts, especially in high school. Students' lack of motivation is a key factor in this scenario. The constant immersion of young people in technological environments rich in stimuli, such as games and social networks, makes the school experience less attractive. To overcome this challenge, gamification is suggested as an innovative educational approach. Gamification incorporates elements of games into educational contexts in order to enhance learning, problem-solving and collaboration. A study was conducted in Fortaleza to explore the potential of gamification in public high schools, with an emphasis on the teachers' perspective and the subject of biology. Qualitative research was adopted as the approach, allowing for a deep and contextualized understanding of the issue. Five biology teachers from public schools were interviewed, using a semi-structured interview format with open questions. The data collected will be analyzed using content analysis, with the aim of identifying challenges in implementing gamification in education and assessing teachers' level of familiarity with this approach. The results indicate that educators recognize the effectiveness of gamification, with teachers 1 and 4 highlighting the use of "KAHOOT!". Teachers 1, 2, 4 and 5 emphasize the facilitation of teaching, while teacher 3 highlights competition as a driver of student effort. Despite the benefits, implementation challenges are evident, including time demands and a shortage of technological resources. Teachers 2, 3 and 5 adapt with analog strategies, such as board games, preserving the benefits of gamification. Teachers' strategic choice to use gaming platforms highlights innovations that engage students effectively and tackle specific biology challenges, reflecting intelligent adaptation of available tools, emphasizing flexibility and creativity. By exploiting gamification, teachers capitalize on students' familiarity and affinity with technology.