AÇÕES PARA A ALFABETIZAÇÃO CIENTÍFICA E A POPULARIZAÇÃO DA CIÊNCIA POR MEIO DE PRÁTICAS PEDAGÓGICAS ENVOLVENDO O ESTUDO DAS ABELHAS JATAÍ E A AGRICULTURA VERTICAL

Abstract

Contemporary education faces the challenge of preparing students for a technological and complex world, demanding skills that surpass the traditional teaching model, which is frequently theoretical and decontextualized. Given this scenario, this study aimed to analyse the impacts of investigative intervention actions focused on the scientific literacy of 8th and 9th-grade students in Elementary School; to popularize science through the integration between basic education schools and higher education; and to evaluate the effects of a science fair in promoting environmental education. The methodology, of an applied and investigative nature, consisted of pedagogical interventions and field work were carried out at the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory Complex of IF Goiano and at CEPI Maria Ribeiro Carneiro, in Rio Verde, Goiás. The practical activities integrated two scientific and technological fronts: the ecological and pollination study with the Jataí bee (Tetragonisca angustula) and the controlled cultivation of strawberries in an urban vertical farming system with supplemental artificial LED lighting. As results and a practical development of the doctoral research, an Educational Product aimed at teacher training was conceived: the self-instructional MOOC course entitled “Scientific Literacy in Basic Education”, hosted on the IF Goiano platform. It is concluded that the insertion of inquiry-based teaching and science popularization acts as a transformative tool to reduce the weaknesses of traditional teaching, promoting intellectual autonomy, students' critical thinking, and effectively bringing the school community closer to scientific knowledge and socio-environmental preservation.