O ensino de ciências da natureza no contexto da pandemia da covid-19: O que revelam as publicações na área

Abstract

This research addresses the teaching of natural sciences in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020. The suspension of in-person classes and the adoption of Emergency Remote Education (ERE) revealed structural and pedagogical weaknesses in Brazilian education, especially in public schools. The scenario of social isolation, coupled with socioeconomic inequalities, highlighted the limitations of access to digital technologies, the overload of teaching work, and the learning difficulties of students. Given these conditions, it became essential to understand: what are the implications of Emergency Remote Education (ERE) on teaching strategies for Natural Sciences during the covid-19 pandemic? Morevoer, it was necessary to highlight the challenge of maintaining pedagogical ties and promoting meaningful learning in the midst of the crisis. The research was conducted using a qualitative, exploratory approach based on a systematic literature review and document analysis. The corpus consisted of 15 articles published between 2020 and 2024 in journals qualified by CAPES (strata A1 to A4) that address the teaching of Natural Sciences during the pandemic. Content analysis based on Bardin (1977) allowed for the construction of “units of analysis” that organized the data around pedagogical strategies, which were analyzed in light of Historical-Critical Pedagogy (HCP). From this perspective, it was found that the teaching of Natural Sciences during the ERE approached the empiricist conception of science more significantly, and in terms of the pedagogical perspective, it was found that most teaching practices did not approach Historical-Critical Pedagogy (HCP). Although this was the theoretical framework of the present research and was debated as a possibility for overcoming decontextualized and technical practices, the data analyzed show the predominance of a technical and transmissive approach, marked by strategies focused on the presentation of content and the application of tasks, often without articulation with the social reality of the students. Few experiences proposed a critical mediation of scientific knowledge, as proposed by HCP. The experience of teaching Natural Sciences during the pandemic revealed both weaknesses and opportunities. While, on the one hand, it deepened educational inequalities and exposed gaps in technological infrastructure, on the other, it opened paths for the more systematic incorporation of digital technologies, for the strengthening of student autonomy, and for the development of more critical and contextualized pedagogical practices. The legacy of this period points to the urgency of public policies that ensure digital inclusion, continuing teacher training, and the effective integration of technologies in teaching, in order to consolidate advances and address the contraditos still present in the educational process.