“O que sou eu no corpo humano?”: um jogo mediado por uma sequência didática para o 6º ano do ensino fundamental

Abstract

Science education is still strongly influenced by the traditional model, based on the exhaustive transmission of content through lecture-based instruction. Although this format provides an organized conceptual foundation, it becomes less engaging when used exclusively. With technological advances, the incorporation of new strategies—such as educational games— promotes students’ active participation and contributes to educational success. The use of these instructional resources makes classes more dynamic and enjoyable, fostering more meaningful learning and enriching pedagogical practice. Recent changes in the Natural Sciences curriculum have created implementation challenges, particularly due to the complexity of 6th-grade content, such as the study of human body systems, which was previously included only in the 8th grade. It is necessary to adopt approaches that help students overcome the complexity and fragmentation of these topics. Thus, the main objective of this study is to analyze a didactic sequence (DS) that employs an educational game to support the teaching and learning of Science, with an emphasis on human body content. The specific objectives are: to develop a didactic sequence composed of lessons on the major human body systems; to analyze students’ learning process through their participation in the development and use of the game; and to design and implement an educational game to improve students’ understanding of the body’s physiological systems. The research aims to foster students’ autonomy and address the content in a more accessible and engaging way, thereby promoting meaningful learning. The study was conducted with 30 6th-grade students from a full-time public school located in Fortaleza, Ceará. The methodology adopted a qualitative approach, complemented by simple numerical data used in analyzing the questionnaires and presenting results in graphs. The research was descriptive, seeking to detail how the game influences learning, and explanatory, as it identified the factors that contribute to this impact. The resulting educational product is a game mediated by a didactic sequence. In the first stage, dialogued lectures were conducted on the human body systems; in the second stage, students created the game cards, which were later professionally printed; in the third stage, the game was implemented as a strategy to reinforce and expand students’ understanding of the body’s physiological systems. For data collection, a questionnaire was administered to students before and after using the game, allowing the analysis of its effects and potential based on the comparison of results. The analysis compared pre-test and post-test responses, examining variations in the percentages of correct and incorrect answers. These data were organized into graphs, enabling the identification of the questions with the greatest improvement and, consequently, assessing the impact of the game. The results showed that the didactic sequence, by integrating lectures and the educational game, contributed to improved comprehension and retention of the content. The game proved to be a relevant resource for reinforcing and expanding learning, making the process more engaging, dynamic, and participatory