Diálogos entre decolonialidade, ensino de química e Paulo Freire: investigações para a formação de educadores

Abstract

To find satisfactory answers to the questions "Why do I only hear and see theories from European scientists?" or "In other places in the world, didn't they think about science?", I aligned myself with concepts and theories from the global south, addressing specific problems and solutions in natural science education. I found support in authors who raise anti-colonial reflections, such as the case of the Modernity/Coloniality network, composed of authors such as Rita Segato, Catherine Walsh, Maria Vera Candau, Aníbal Quijano, Henrique Dussel, Walter Mignolo, Nelson Maldonado-Torres, Ramón Grosfoguel, between others. These theoretical lines question the Eurocentric bases of knowledge and their material and subjective repercussions for the people subjugated by Europe, criticizing developmentalism, the Eurocentric dominance of forms of knowledge, gender inequalities and racial and cultural hierarchies. In addition, they reflect on the Latin American context, highlighting subalternized knowledge of exploited groups. The network calls into question the Eurocentric hegemony of knowledge, promoting an epistemic rupture known as the decolonial turn, which involves new interpretations based on ideas from the global south, such as liberation theology and dependency theory. We understand that coloniality is closely linked to traditional school education and the teaching of Chemistry, as indicated in the literature in the area. Thus, here we seek the bases for interculturally critical Chemistry teaching, drawing inspiration from the conceptions of Paulo Freire, who defends school practices based on dialogicity. According to Freire, the curriculum must incorporate students' knowledge and contemporary problems, in addition to traditional content, however, under a critical eye. Concepts such as cultural invasion, dialogicity and education for freedom are fundamental in this process. Thus, we consider that Freire's ideas can offer a critical path towards decoloniality in Science teaching. Looking for answers, I offered a mini-course for educators at the XXI National Meeting of Chemistry Teaching, in 2023, focusing on the relationship between Paulo Freire and the teaching of Chemistry. From this mini-course, I developed a training proposal for Natural Sciences teachers, aiming to expand the discussion on decoloniality in scientific education, using the Three Pedagogical Moments as a methodological basis. The research, with a qualitative nature in its analyses, included a logbook, materials produced by people who went through the mini-course and teacher training, as well as questionnaires answered after the end of both, as materials for data collection. The results of the analyzes point to the need to approach teacher training that does not focus, epistemologically, on Eurocentrism as a universalizing conception of knowledge. We also point out that we can find, in praxis, practical tools that we can anchor ourselves to so that the decolonial turn is materially feasible. This work seeks to answer questions that arise in the Latin American context, reflecting my experience as a mother, daughter, student and educator. I use records from a logbook, participants' impressions and questionnaires to explore the answers to these concerns, with the aim of promoting a more inclusive Chemistry education aligned with the realities of Latin American people.