Histórias à mesa no ensino de ciências: conexões entre literatura infantojuvenil, alimentação e Educação CTSA

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the possibilities of articulating children's and young adult literature with the theoretical and methodological assumptions of Science, Technology, Society, and Environment Education (STSE), aiming to understand how this articulation contributes to addressing food education in Science Education. The study is based on the understanding that food extends beyond its biological dimension and encompasses scientific, social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental dimensions, thus requiring pedagogical practices committed to the critical education of students. This qualitative applied research was grounded in bibliographic and documentary research and employed the Focus Group strategy to validate the Educational Product. The research followed four complementary stages. First, we mapped the studies presented at the National Meeting on Research in Science Education (ENPEC) in the 2019, 2021, and 2023 editions concerning STS/STSE Education and teacher education. Next, we analyzed studies on food education in Early Childhood Education and the early years of Elementary School in order to identify challenges and possibilities for addressing this topic in the school context. Subsequently, we investigated children's literature related to food from the collection of a municipal public school library and developed pedagogical proposals based on the STSE approach. As the culmination of this process, we developed and validated an Educational Product consisting of the pedagogical collection The Pequi Girl, composed of the children's and young adult literary book The Pequi Girl: A Story of Hunger, Dreams, and Hope in the Brazilian Cerrado and the Pedagogical Guide for Science Education with Suggested STSE Activities. The literary work is intended for students from the fourth year of Elementary School onward and may also be used in the final years of Elementary School, High School, and Youth and Adult Education (YAE), while the guide is intended for Basic Education teachers and provides possibilities for reading mediation and the development of pedagogical activities. The Educational Product was validated with students from the first STSE Education course offered by the Graduate Program in Science Education at the State University of Goiás. The findings indicate that the articulation between children's and young adult literature, food education, and STSE Education broadens the possibilities for addressing food in Science Education, encourages the discussion of socially relevant issues, and supports the development of pedagogical practices committed to students' critical education. As a result of this research, we present an Educational Product consisting of a pedagogical collection that articulates children's and young adult literature, Science Education, and STSE Education, providing support for teaching practice and encouraging reflections on food, food culture, food insecurity, sustainability, citizenship, and the human right to adequate food.