Aprendizagem baseada na resolução de problemas: uma experiência no ensino de química remoto

Abstract

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) consist of learning new knowledge by solving a problem proposed by the teacher. Thus, in the search for a solution to the problem, students will be able to expand their knowledge and develop skills associated with solving the problem. The implementation of PBL oriented teaching began in the area of health sciences, more precisely at McMaster University (Medical School), in the 60s. The success of this new approach reached other areas of knowledge, including science education. Among the different teaching approaches, we have the PBL in guided teaching, in which the teacher plays the role of advisor, the student is at the center of the learning process and activities are developed in groups. However, it is worth mentioning that the teacher has a fundamental role in this mediator process, as he is the one who creates conditions that favor the students' reflection process. Based on the guidelines and stages of teaching oriented to the PBL, this research has the general objective of investigation how the PBL approach, for the teaching of Chemistry, can favor the engagement and learning of students in the search for the resolution of the problem “Explosion in Beirut”, based on the proposed and developed activities in Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). This research was carried out in a private school, with students in the 3rd year of high school, in which the researcher acts as the titular teacher of the Chemistry discipline, responsible for conducting the proposed activities and directing the students regarding the actions to be taken put into practice, depending on the theme. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not possible to teach face-to-face classes, we had the ERT teaching modality, online classes, using the Google Classroom and the Google Meet platform, which favored virtual contact between students and teachers. Therefore, the proposed problem “Explosion in Beirut” was divided in 6 activities that were developed on synchronous meetings and asynchronous activities. The participants were 25 students who worked in groups of 5 people each to develop activities in search of solving the proposed problem. During the development of activities, the aim was to review chemical conceptual contents related to matter and energy, chemical reactions, thermochemistry, and chemical kinetics, which should be related to the concepts of heat, temperature, endothermic and exothermic chemical reactions, fuel, oxidant , types of combustion (complete and incomplete) and thus associate it with the proposed problem. Data were obtained through activities developed in digital tools, recordings of synchronous classes carried out via the Google Meet platform, asynchronous activities, which were posted on the Google Classroom platform, preparation of a logbook that presents records of the research and discussions carried out. The data analysis was based on the logbooks produced by each group and on the transcription of excerpts from some synchronous classes to verify the evidence of student engagement. As an educational product, an e-book was prepared that presents theoretical references that explain the PBL approach, steps on how to develop activities in the PBL perspective based on the references that were used in the research, description of the development of the proposed activity, presentation of the tools used and the link full of work. Thus, this research, despite the mishaps related to the pandemic context, presented favorable results for the use of the PBL approach in the school environment, since we can see, through data analysis, that student engagement was made possible.