Films used in the teaching of sciences and the possibilities of discussions about science

Abstract

The use of cinema in teaching is a mechanism that brings diversified resources to the reality of the classroom, enabling the student a wider view of certain contents. The objective of this work was to identify the films used in science teaching and to verify the social representations of science depicted in them. The methodology of the study included a survey that was carried out in periodicals of the area, where 11 articles were identified that cite 31 different films used by teachers. Subsequently, two films were analyzed in light of the Theory of Social Representations of Moscovici (2011). The results yielded by this investigation show that most of the films used are concentrated on the genre of science fiction. The results also indicate that films often express erroneous concepts of science representation that can be misinterpreted. In conclusion, the analysis points out that teacher mediation, in the process of meaning of films and in the production of meaning by the students, has a fundamental importance to minimize these problems.