Atividades experimentais no ensino de Física: diversidade e tendências no período de 2014-2023

Abstract

This research presents a mapping review of educational research, based on publications addressing experimental activities in Physics teaching, available in the CAPES Journal Portal, and produced in the period from 2014 to 2023. The selection included articles classified as Qualis A (four-year period 2017-2020) with no language restrictions. The main objective of this research is to analyze across different dimensions, the articles related to experimental activities in Physics teaching published in academic journals over a ten-year period (2014– 2023). The research seeks to answer the following question: What knowledge has been produced during the period from 2014 to 2023 concerning experimental activities in Physics teaching? The analysis covers different dimensions, including: terminological diversity, areas of Physics, educational levels, scope of activities, resources, and epistemological-pedagogical foundations. Among the main results, the diversity of terminology employed by authors to refer to experimental activities stands out, which may reflect different epistemological perspectives or varied uses in the teaching of Sciences. The areas of knowledge most explored were Mechanics and Electromagnetism, to the detriment of other areas such as Optics, Thermal Physics, and Modern and Contemporary Physics received less attention. The study covers different educational levels, ranging from Elementary Education to Higher Education, highlighting intersections between them. The results show that authors tend to emphasize the practical application of these activities rather than merely proposing them. The contexts of these activities' implementation and proposition include laboratories, classrooms, and extracurricular environments. Various studies proposed the use of technological resources, recyclable and easily accessible materials, and the employment of software and simulations for data analysis as part of experimental activities in the teaching of Physics. The epistemologicalpedagogical foundation highlights the influence of classical pedagogical theories on the teaching of Physics, particularly in experimental practices. Literature reviews conducted in the field further emphasize the challenges and limitations, reflecting the complexity inherent to the topic. The analyses of this study emphasize that experimental practices play a fundamental role and can contribute to students' scientific and critical formation. However, the challenge remains to ensure that these activities are planned and executed in a way that maximizes their educational impact.