Interagindo com personagens de "O show da Luna": a construção de relações com ciência por crianças de 8-9 anos de idade

Abstract

This research aims to understand how 8-9 year olds children build discursive relationships with science based on interactions that involve characters and narratives of the animated TV Series “Earth to Luna!”. For our fieldwork we used theoretical methodological contributions from studies of Ethnography in Education, Interactional Ethnography (GREEN et al, 2005; DIXON; GREEN, 2005), Discourse Analysis and Microetnography (BLOOME et al, 2005). Although the study is not an ethnographic research, these contributions were fundamental to understand the relationships children built with science, as they interact with characters of the animated TV Series. To better understand our research participants, the ways they constructed relationships with science, and the media object with which they interacted, we relied on discussions from the areas of Sociology of Childhood, Science Education, and Media and Education. We also present trends in research involving animated TV Series, childhood and science in the national field, and briefly study these themes in Brazil and, to a lesser extent in the international community. We conducted participant observation, recording in video and field notes. We also proposed writing activities, activities at home involving characters dolls, and script analysis for one episode. These activities produced artifacts that were included in our database. To understand the results, we conducted macroscopic and microscopic analysis. At the macroscopic level, we built charts and timelines that allowed us to characterize the group’s history throughout research. We identified events and a telling case that made visible the relationships children built with science through interactions with the animated TV Series’ characters. At the microscopic level, we transcribed interactions in message units. We aim to (i) describe the processes of constructing relationships with science, (ii) identify aspects of the animated TV Series that have contributed to constructing relationships with science, and (iii) understand how participants actions contributed to constructing relationships with science. The results show that the relationships between child and the characters did not included the scientific theme, and interactions involved socialization and affection were more meaningful. Aspects of “Earth to Luna!” were important in the construction of relationships with science, like analyzing the script of the episodes and proposing scientific questions for a new episode. Finally, the participation in the group, through interactions, is essential for producing relationships with Science. We evidenced how these processes are nonlinear and unstable and they do not occur spontaneously in participants’ context(s). Thus, we emphasize that children do not necessarily gain additional resource to learn science and/or to engage in scientific practices just by watching a media production about science. Mediation and interaction with adults and with their peers are necessary for constructing relationships involving science. In this sense, we point out the need for studies that aim to investigate how children establish relationships with scientific media products, emphasizing the social processes and meanings constructed by the child for the media and for the science. The study’s results have potential to contribute to teacher education and media development.