Trilha citológica: um jogo como recurso de aprendizagem em biologia celular para alunos com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA)

Abstract

Biology is a broad field within the natural sciences, and the way in which this subject is taught is fundamental to students' development. However, teachers face significant challenges when addressing complex concepts such as cell structure and the distinctions between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. This difficulty stems, in particular, from the fact that these elements are microscopic in size, which limits their visibility to students and, consequently, compromises their full understanding of the content. This obstacle becomes potential when the curricular component—Cell Biology—is taught to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as they have different learning and socialization characteristics. Thus, the adoption of new pedagogical resources in classrooms has been suggested, aiming to promote socialization, increase learning levels, and eliminate discriminatory attitudes against students with ASD, transforming school spaces into participatory and inclusive places. In this context, educational games act as mediators, aiming at teaching and learning, making the classroom more interactive and attractive. Considering the above, the research carried out aimed to evaluate the contribution of educational games to the learning development of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), related to Cell Biology content. This work was developed from a case study, focusing on students with ASD, contemplating applied, exploratory, descriptive, and qualitative research in order to generate new knowledge, improve thinking, and describe the phenomenon under study. This research presents extremely relevant data on the use of educational games as a learning resource, through authors such as: Vygotsky (1991), Carneiro (2015), Piaget (1988), Almeida (2013), and Vigotskii, Luria, and Leontiev (2006). It is considered that the application of the game as an educational and inclusive proposal for Cell Biology in Elementary School resulted in a significant advance in the differentiation of cell types, prokaryotes and eukaryotes, determined from the analysis of the drawings made, and a greater understanding of this curricular component in students with ASD, through the application of an educational game, also improving the socio-emotional skills of these students.