Manual para disciplina eletiva iniciação à astronomia no ensino médio: a física newtoniana e as olimpíadas de astronomia e de foguete pet

Abstract

This dissertation presents and analyzes a pedagogical proposal for Physics teaching in upper secondary education, materialized in the development of a manual for the construction and launching of PET-bottle rockets, developed to support the elective course Introduction to Astronomy, within the context of the Brazilian New Upper Secondary Education. The proposal is grounded in David Ausubel’s theory of meaningful learning and Lev Vygotsky’s historical- cultural theory, and aims to investigate the contributions of this approach to the learning of concepts from classical mechanics, with emphasis on newtonian mechanics, particularly Newton’s Laws, projectile motion, and the forces involved, as well as to the development of cooperative learning in the school context. The research is characterized as a qualitative and quantitative pedagogical intervention, carried out with upper secondary students from a public school in the state education system of Ceará, having as reference activities linked to the Brazilian Astronomy and Astronautics Olympiad (OBA) and the Brazilian Rocket Olympiad (OBAFOG). The methodological axis is based on scientific experimentation associated with guided inquiry, structured into didactic modules that include the construction and launching of PET-bottle rockets, hypothesis formulation, experimental data collection and analysis, as well as the use of computational simulators, with emphasis on OpenRocket, in addition to diagnostic and formative assessments and group activities mediated by the teacher. Data were collected through individual and collective assessment instruments, records of observation of interactions among students, and analysis of reports produced throughout the activities. The analysis of the results shows that the use of the manual, articulated with experimentation, inquiry, and computational simulation, favored the mobilization of prior knowledge, the understanding of the physics concepts addressed, and the strengthening of social interactions in the learning process, indicating advances in conceptual performance and student engagement. It is concluded that the manual constitutes a viable, low-cost instructional resource aligned with the guidelines of the Brazilian National Common Core Curriculum, contributing to the implementation of active methodologies in Physics teaching and to the development of the elective course Introduction to Astronomy.