Análise da associação entre a aprendizagem baseada em problemas e as questões sociocientíficas na manifestação das dimensões do conteúdo

Abstract

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is characterized by the presentation of a problem situation that must be addressed collaboratively by students through a process that includes scenario analysis, hypothesis formulation, information search and evaluation, and proposition of solutions. In this learning process, the problem presented should be relevant, contextualized, complex, and open-ended, fostering student engagement and enabling multiple pathways for resolution. To support the design of problem scenarios, PBL can be effectively integrated with Socioscientific Issues (SSI), problems that embody the core characteristics required by PBL and allow distinct positions, as they involve ethical, social, and political dimensions. The literature highlights the potential of PBL for the development of a wide range of competencies, including problem-solving, communication, critical thinking, autonomy, and self-regulated learning. However, empirical studies that adopt systematic analytical approaches to evidence the development of such competencies remain limited. Interested in understanding the benefits of using PBL in teaching, this study investigates the association of PBL with SSI and the promotion of learning procedural, conceptual, and attitudinal content. To this end, data were analyzed from: (i) recordings of an ellective course, involving PBL and SSI, throughout an academic semester; (ii) recordings of seminar presentations carried out during the ellective course; and (iii) student selfassessments conducted throughout the semester. The findings indicate that the articulation between PBL and SSI mobilizes the three dimensions of learning (procedural, conceptual, and attitudinal). In the procedural dimension, actions related to problem analysis, research and selection of appropriate information, communication, and group work organization stand out. Knowledge related to mining— such as historical information, regulations regarding mining practices, environmental and economic impacts, scientific knowledge related to mineral extraction, and tailings composition—constituted the conceptual dimension and were also manifested. The attitudinal dimension was associated with the careful use of researched information and reflective processes related to the political and ethical dimensions of mining. The content dimensions proved to be a potential analytical framework for investigating learning in PBL, despite the challenge of identifying the manifestation of the attitudinal dimension during the problem-solving and presentation processes. The use of mining as an SSI associated with PBL favored the manifestation of the dimensions and student engagement, as it was a topic related to the context of the students enrolled in the course. As an implication for future research, this study suggests the development of further investigations into the manifestation of content dimensions with other participants and in different teaching contexts, so as to enable the review and proposal of teaching strategies used in the implementation of the approaches, with a focus on teacher guidance, assessment processes, and the development of group work strategies.