Cells at work!: Uma potencial ferramenta metodológica baseada em anime para o ensino de componentes sanguíneos

Abstract

Traditional teaching is one of the main obstacles to learning Science, highlighting the growing need for methodological plurality. Audiovisual resources, such as anime, have a strong visual and emotional appeal that, when used in the classroom, can act as motivating tools for student engagement and the pursuit of scientific knowledge. In this context, the anime Cells at Work! stands out for presenting, over 13 episodes, anthropomorphized cells performing their functions in the human body, addressing concepts of physiology, immunology, and microbiology in a playful and accessible way. This research aimed to analyze the scientific concepts related to red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells presented in the anime Cells at Work!, evaluating their scientific accuracy and proposing didactic sequences that use this audiovisual resource as a methodological tool for teaching Biology in high school. This is a qualitative and exploratory study, based on the analysis of nine episodes of the first season of the anime, following the content analysis methodology proposed by Bardin. The analysis was carried out in three stages: pre- analysis, exploration of the material and data processing. The units of meaning were constructed from the characters' speeches, the narration and scenes that conveyed relevant information about the physical and functional characteristics of the represented cells. The data obtained were then compared with the scientific literature in the area of Biology. The following stages were followed to develop the teaching sequence and the guide for the teacher-researcher: initial diagnosis, planning, execution of the teaching sequence, formative evaluation and synthesis. The first sequence proposes the use of the anime as a methodological resource for teaching blood components; the guide focuses on supporting the teacher-researcher in using the anime Cells at Work! as a teaching resource. The results indicated that the anime presents representations that are consistent with the scientific literature and use accessible language, contributing to student motivation. It is concluded that Cells at Work! is a promising teaching resource for teaching Biology, as long as it is integrated into a structured pedagogical proposal. It is recommended that the teacher study the material beforehand and that future research be carried out to more deeply evaluate its effectiveness in the teaching-learning process in Science and Biology.