Popularização das neurociências junto a escolares: repercussões da ação de extensão “Cinema, Ciência e Cérebro”

Abstract

In the 1990s, advances in research on the Central Nervous System (CNS) brought new neuroscience knowledge to the general public through scientific outreach, intensifying publications on the intersection between Neurosciences and Education. Despite the existing connection between these areas, this interaction is still not widely spread in Basic Education. Therefore, this research highlighted the importance of popularizing the functioning of the brain and the learning process, expanding knowledge about the CNS within the school context. In this line of thought, some questions drove this study: i) how have neuroscience outreach and popularization actions in Basic Education been developed by different institutions, especially during Brain Awareness Weeks? ii) what are the repercussions of these actions on Basic Education students in terms of brain awareness? These questions led to the study's objective of analyzing initiatives carried out during Brain Awareness Week (BAW) between 2010 and 2024, to understand their impact on neuroscience awareness among Basic Education students. Specific objectives included: (i) mapping actions carried out during BAW in Brazil; (ii) verifying evidence of brain awareness promoted by these initiatives; and (iii) assessing the impact of neuroscience interventions on students. The methodology combined document analysis of reports, university portal materials, and published articles on BAW, with a practical intervention involving students from two public schools in a city in southern Minas Gerais. In the intervention, questionnaires were applied to 5th and 6th-grade students to measure their brain awareness before and after participating in the extension activity "Cinema, Science, and the Brain." Verbal data were analyzed using content analysis, and numerical data were treated using descriptive and exploratory statistics. The results indicated that BAW campaigns have expanded students' understanding of the brain and its processes, promoting greater interest in science and encouraging pedagogical practices more aligned with neuroscientific evidence. However, it was observed that these knowledge should be more practically integrated into the school routine, with a focus on developing cognitive and emotional skills. The use of audiovisual resources, such as the movie Inside Out, proved effective in building emotional concepts and stimulating students' curiosity. After the intervention, there was a significant improvement in students' understanding of emotions andtheir relationship with the brain. The majority recognized the practical applicability of the knowledge acquired, both in school and in their daily interactions, demonstrating the relevance of teaching Neurosciences. Thus, the study revealed that brain awareness and Neurosciences in Basic Education are still in the early stages, highlighting the need for 12 educator training and greater institutional support to integrate these areas into the school curriculum.