A acne como fenômeno de ancoragem para abordar concepções alternativas sobre inflamação e microbiota no ensinoa médio

Abstract

Inquiry-based teaching is a pedagogical approach that encourages students to formulate questions, observe experimental data, develop explanations for phenomena, and communicate their findings. This study used acne—a common biological phenomenon during adolescence that involves various biological concepts—as its central theme. Previous research indicates that adolescents hold diverse conceptions and attitudes about the causes and treatments of acne, often based on non-scientific beliefs, including misconceptions about the immune system's role. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a didactic sequence with an investigative focus, using the inflammatory response to acne as an anchoring phenomenon to challenge alternative conceptions about inflammation and the roles of microbiota in the body. The didactic sequence included a guiding question about the relationship between microbiota and acne, followed by a microbiology experimental activity guided by a structured script, and a group activity to develop a final product based on provided resources. The implementation of the sequence in a high school class at a public school was evaluated through analyses of completed scripts, created products, and questionnaires applied to students. The questionnaires included questions about the content covered and their motivation to learn. The results indicated that some conceptions were transformed, such as the belief that soap completely eliminates skin bacteria—85% of the students disagreed—and the idea of a direct relationship between microbiota and acne, where 84% of the students also came to disagree. Both misconceptions were refuted after the experiment. However, more complex concepts, such as the mechanisms of the inflammatory process, were not fully assimilated. As a product of the study, an educational booklet was developed, adaptable to local realities, aimed at use in high school biology classes and in the field of Natural Sciences and their Technologies.