Recursos didáticos em ensino de Biologia : configurações epistemológicas da produção doutoral brasileira (1972-2014)

Abstract

This research analyzes the theoretical constitution of the subarea of research in Biology Teaching starting with the question: What theoretical assumptions emerge from research on Didactics Resources in Biology Teaching, from the Brazilian research of doctoral level, and how they projects epistemologically the area of Teaching of Biology in Brazil? To answer this question, the general objective of this research is to analyze the historical and epistemological framework that is based Brazilian doctoral production in Didactics Resources in Teaching of Biology since its inception (1972-2014). The methodology used in the conceptual dimension of research, was critical hermeneutics proposed by Paul Ricoeur to analyze the works in Teaching of Biology. The dimension concrete of the research was conducted in two stages: i) systematization of 876 dissertations and theses in Biology Teaching defended in the period 2005-2014, according to the descriptors: year , institution, thematic focus, biological content and level of education; ii) among the 171 theses in Biology Teaching defended in this period, were selected to the analytical set those theses whose thematic focus was 'Didactics Resources', that add a total of 29 works. In the set of Didactics Resources theses, we found theoretical foundations related to Constructivist approaches, historical-cultural theory, Progressive theory of Paulo Freire, Language Theory and the theory of Didactic Transposition of Chevallard. In addition to these theoretical frameworks, we identified some symbolic expressions that recurred in the analyzed works. Are speeches that have sustained and provoked discussions on certain aspects of teaching and learning in biology, they are: 'formation of the citizen', 'how, why and what to teach?' and the '(re) contextualization of knowledge'. As for the reference works on Didactics Resources, identified the predominance of references to Brazilian authors and especially national researchers with outstanding expertise in the field of Education Sciences/Biology and general education. The undertaken analysis led us to defend the thesis that the development and use of Didactic Resources in Biology Teaching in Brazil is based mainly on its own theoretical compendium of the area, which epistemologically, is linked to cognitive, educational and critical perspectives knowledge. We believe that from the mid-1990s, when the area comes into its third historical period, there was the process of structuring this theoretical compendium of reference to the area of Biology Education/Science Education, which no longer rely exclusively in general references of Education, Psychology or Philosophy, but takes into account the Brazilian educational reality and characteristics of the biological contents in both teaching practices and in the teacher training of Biology.