Experimentation as strategy to address the nanotechnology theme in high school from an STSE perspective

Abstract

This paper presents results of a qualitative investigation on the use of experimentation with focus on the Science, Technology, Society and Environment (STSE) interface, to approach the contents of atomic structure and material properties based on the theme Nanotechnology. The research was carried out with students of the first year of high school during the evening course at a state public school in the city of Porto Alegre, RS, in 2019. Data were collected with a questionnaire applied before and after the pedagogical interventions proposed in the educational product developed in the Graduate Program of the Professional Master's Degree in Chemistry in the National Network (PROFQUI) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. The educational product includes practical activities of synthesis using low-cost materials and generation of innocuous residues: (i) one about silver nanoparticles, as well as their characterization, by the Tyndall effect and their application in bacteriological control; and (ii) another one related to Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles presenting their use, through videos, in environmental remediation, drug carriers, tumor treatment and in mining. The synthesis were made available in the form of procedural protocols and didactic videos with their execution for later consultation and review of the concepts related to each of the experiments. The obtained responses were compared and it was concluded that the performance on the activities involved in the educational product supported the teaching and learning process.