Percepções de docentes de biologia e estudantes do ensino médio sobre a aplicação das metodologias ativas em uma escola pública no sul do Estado do Espírito Santo

Abstract

Research in the field of education has proposed alternatives to improve the teaching and learning process, among them, active methodologies, in which students are encouraged to actively engage in their learning process, fostering student autonomy and meaningful learning of school content. The general objective of this research was to investigate the knowledge of teachers and students about Active Methodologies as pedagogical strategies in the teaching and learning process of Biology. The specific objectives were to investigate the understanding of Biology teachers and students regarding the definitions of Active Methodologies and their use, as well as to detect, among the researched group, the perception or understanding of the teaching and learning process through the use of Active Methodologies. The experimental subjects were Biology teachers and students in the final years of High School at the São José State School of Elementary and Secondary Education, located in the district of Pedra Menina, in the municipality of Dores do Rio Preto/ES. In the methodological approach, qualitative participatory research was used, and comprehensive interviews and questionnaires with objective and discursive questions were used as data collection instruments. Both teachers and students identified that active methodologies promote the development of critical skills such as analytical thinking, problem-solving ability, and creativity. The methodologies most used by the teachers were problematization, peer education, and gamification, while for the students, the most mentioned methodologies in learning Biology content were team-based learning, simulation labs, flipped classrooms, and gamification. The results indicate that the recognition of the potential of active methodologies by teachers and students goes beyond mere improvement of teaching and learning, being perceived as tools to transform the traditional classroom dynamic, favoring a more participatory, collaborative, and student-centered teaching and learning process. The application of these methodologies appears to be a promising strategy to face contemporary educational challenges.