Ensino por investigação, mediação docente na percepção de riscos no estudo de artrópodes no ensino médio

Abstract

Insects and arachnids are frequently targets of fear and repulsion, which hinders the teaching of their ecological importance. This study analyzed the contributions of inquirybased teaching to learning about arthropods in high school, with an emphasis on the identification of morphological structures and the re-signification of the perception of risk, repulsion, and disgust attributed to insects and arachnids. The research was developed with a 2nd-year high school class from a public school in Minas Gerais, through a didactic sequence 1 Artigo científico apresentado à Universidade Federal de Lavras, como parte das exigências do Programa de PósGraduação Lato Senso em Ensino de Ciências “Ciência é 10!”. 6 composed of six lessons, involving initial problematization, field trip, organism collection, laboratory observation, scientific records, and collective discussion. Data were obtained through observation in a field diary, photographs, and student productions. The results indicated high student participation, increased knowledge about morphological characteristics, and a more critical understanding of the structures actually associated with dangerousness. Attitudinal changes were also observed, with a reduction in feelings of fear and repulsion and greater ecological appreciation of these organisms. The results indicated student participation and the awakening of bioethical reflections. However, they showed a dependence on teacher mediation, demonstrating that students still feel insecure when given investigative autonomy. It is concluded that direct contact and morphological identification are strategies to demystify the perception of danger and replace repulsion with relational awareness in Biology teaching.