Scenarios of the Debate about the Nature of Science in Physics Degree Courses in Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Ferreira, Gabriela Kaiana
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Custódio, José Francisco
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Caderno Brasileiro de Ensino de Física (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/fisica/article/view/74094

In this paper we aimed to map the offer of subjects with discussions on the Nature of Science in undergraduate Physics courses from public higher education institutions in Brazil. For this, we developed a documental analysis of 390 subject’s syllabuses present in the Pedagogical Course Projects of 145 undergraduate Physics course of 90 public higher education institutions, with discussions related to the Nature of Science. From the results, despite what is indicated in guiding and legislative documents encouraging this type of discussion, we conclude that the scheduled time for subject’s syllabuses addressing the Nature of Science, even if briefly, is still very low (discussions are contemplated in disciplines that add up to a scheduled time of 4.65% of the total scheduled time of undergraduate courses). In the analysis, the subject’s syllabuses were classified according to the notion of Teaching Knowledge encompassing Disciplinary Knowledge of History, Philosophy, Epistemology and Sociology of Sciences and Physics, Pedagogical Knowledge and Disciplinary Knowledge of Physics. Furthermore, concerning the discussion of the Nature of Science, the subject’s syllabuses were categorized based on different approaches regarding the scope and depth of the historical, philosophical, epistemological, and sociological content of Science and Physics. In summary, we conclude that there is some influence of research in science education in the recommendations on teaching the nature of science in LF curricula, in the diversity of aspects of the nature of science being addressed, indicating a lack of consensus on what should be taught.