ENSINO DE FÍSICA NO ENSINO MÉDIO E O DESENVOLVIMENTO DOS ALUNOS: ANÁLISE CRÍTICA DA LITERATURA E PROPOSTA METODOLÓGICA FUNDAMENTADA EM DAVYDOV E HEDEGAARD

Abstract

This research was conducted within the research line Education, Culture, Theories, and Pedagogical Processes of the Graduate Program in Education at Centro Universitário Mais (UniMais). In the Brazilian context, various issues affect high school education, creating a scenario that, for many, constitutes a state of permanent crisis. Historically implemented reforms have not succeeded in overcoming these problems. At this level of education, the teaching of Physics in particular remains fragmented, disconnected from students’ concrete realities, lacking articulation with their sociocultural context, and focused on the transmission of formulas and the acquisition of concepts through the lens of formal logic alone. ducational policies for high school do not demonstrate a genuine concern for the human development of young people through an education that fosters their growth, especially by cultivating conceptual thinking of a dialectical nature. Furthermore, academic production in the field shows little concern for this aspect of student development in Physics education.This problematic situation led to the following research question: What are the contributions of the theory of developmental teaching to the pursuit of changes in high school Physics education, considering students’ conceptual thinking? The general objective was to investigate the contributions of the theory of developmental teaching to high school Physics education, with a focus on students’ conceptual thinking, particularly theoretical thinking. The specific objectives were: to understand the historical and social determinations that structure Physics education in high school; to delineate the foundational principles present in the developmental teaching approach, particularly in the theories of Vygotsky, Davydov, and Hedeagard; to analyze the contributions of these foundations to changes in high school Physics education, focusing on the study activity and the formation of theoretical concepts; and to formulate a methodological proposal based on these theories for teaching a Physics concept, electric current.Methodologically, the research employed literature review and theoretical bibliographic research procedures. The analysis of the selected material allowed for the identification of contradictions and potentialities within developmental teaching as a means of transforming high school Physics education. This was demonstrated not only through the results of the bibliographic research but also through the systematization of a draft proposal for teaching the concept of electric current. It is concluded that the theoretical foundations of these approaches are potentially rich for promoting changes in high school Physics education, enhancing the commitment to a pedagogical practice oriented toward the humanization and comprehensive development of students.