Escape Room como ferramenta educativa: conscientização e tratamento da água no ensino de Química

Abstract

Active methodologies have been gaining prominence on the contemporary educational scene, especially in chemistry teaching, as they promote the active participation of students in the learning process. The use of Escape Room, as a gamified teaching resource, offers a proposal for investigative and participatory teaching. In view of this, this work aims to use a playful approach, through an Escape Room, as an educational tool for water awareness and treatment in chemistry teaching. The research was carried out at the João Nogueira Jucá Full-Time High School, located in the Sapiranga neighborhood of Fortaleza. The study was applied to a 2nd year high school class made up of 38 students aged between 15 and 18. The methodology was conducted in sequential stages, involving a pre-test, a theoretical lesson, experimental practice and the application of the educational Escape Room. The students, organized into teams, faced challenges related to water treatment, conscious use of water and basic sanitation, using knowledge acquired throughout the didactic sequence. Subsequently, a post-test and a survey questionnaire were applied to assess the evolution of learning and the impact of the methodology, enabling an integrated analysis of the data from a qualitative and quantitative perspective. The results showed significant progress in the students' understanding of topics such as basic sanitation, water treatment and environmental awareness. The comparison between pre- and post-tests indicated conceptual and attitudinal gains, with an increase in the number of correct answers on specific topics. The survey data indicated that 82.1% of the participants totally agreed that the Escape Room made learning more interactive than traditional classes, reinforcing its potential as a teaching strategy. In addition, 82.1% of the students said they would recommend the activity to other classes, which indicates a high level of satisfaction. The application of the Escape Room is in line with the pedagogical objectives, proving to be effective in promoting active, collaborative and contextualized learning, confirming its potential as a replicable tool in chemistry teaching.