Problematizing Experimental Activity: An analysis of pH in soil samples with 3rd year high school students

Abstract

The experimental activity is considered a strategy that enables integration between theory and practice during the teaching and learning process. Understanding the potential for teaching chemistry, this investigation aimed to evaluate possible contributions of the demonstrative-problematizing experimental approach to the construction of chemical knowledge about soil pH analysis and the influence of acid or alkaline character for soybean cultivation. The qualitative, interventional research was developed with students in the 3rd year of high school at a public school in the municipality of Marabá-PA, through the execution of a teaching sequence. For the construction of data, three instruments were applied, namely, a form for probing previous knowledge and the other for evaluating the methodology; finally, students were asked to produce a text on the topic discussed. For data interpretation, descriptive statistics and content analysis (CA) were used, supported by the IRAMUTEQ software, in which a Descending Hierarchical Classification (CHD) was processed. In the results, it was verified that the previous ideas manifested helped in the appropriation of new knowledge, being translated by the level of agreement on the contribution of the experiments carried out for the understanding of chemical concepts. With the CA, four categories emerged, clearly expressing how this knowledge was structured by the students. Furthermore, it was possible to verify the appropriation of conceptual and procedural contents related to soil pH analysis, demonstrating success in fulfilling the research objective.