Elementos de História e Filosofia da Química Segundo Professores do Ensino Médio: relações química/sociedade

Abstract

In this paper the inclusion of elements of the history and philosophy of chemistry in the practice of five high school teachers was investigated, with focus on the relations between chemistry and society. Following a qualitative case study approach, five chemistry teachers from the public school system were interviewed. All of them used the didactic material that is part of the São Paulo State Curriculum and volunteered to participate in the research. The data obtained in the interviews were classified according to two thematic sub-axes: teaching practice and relevance. Results showed that, in general, although professors consider issues related to the history and philosophy of science as relevant and, to a certain extent, seek to insert them in their practices, the reasons why they value some discussions can limit students’ understanding about the complexity of science. Teachers pointed out that they develop, or have already developed in their classes, activities that address the multiple contexts related to scientific and technological development, as well as environmental issues, indicating the influence of the science-technology-society-environment approach in the elaboration of didactic materials and curriculum guidelines from the 1990s. However, few instances were cited by teachers that could be classified as critical-reflexive. Furthermore, scarce references to specifically chemical aspects in the interactions between chemistry and society were made, which suggests that the discussions developed mainly within the scope of the philosophy of chemistry – such as, for example, what chemistry is, how it works and what sets it apart from other sciences – have not yet comprehensively influenced the construction of curricula and classroom practices.