Facilitando a aprendizagem de genética: uso de um modelo didático e análise dos recursos presentes em livros de biologia

Abstract

The research regarding the learning of genetics is an important theme within the area of of Biology teaching, because it involves the discussion about forms of apprenticeship and difficulties in understanding and relating abstract concepts that proceed from different areas. Due to the necessity of investigating the main difficulties of the students in relation to the learning of genetics, this work had as objective to develop a teaching model which might facilitate genetics' learning and the demonstration of the correlation between genotype and phenotype, besides the analysis of the auxiliary resources present in teaching books. The research utilized qualitative and quantitative approaches using as collection instrument a questionnaire for the general characterization of the group and the comparison of pre and post-tests applied. Seventy three students, enrolled in the second year of high school in a public school of Santa Maria, RS, took part in the research. The tests were elaborated with questions that encompassed contents related to genetics. The teaching model was used in the period between the application of the pre and post tests. The analysis of the pre-test showed that the main questions were related to the identification of the chromosome structure, genes and DNA; relations between genotype and phenotype; the identification of genealogies and calculation of probabilities, concepts and karyotype. After the use of the teaching model it could be observed that it was efficient for the learning of issues as chromosome structures, genotype-phenotype interaction and karyotype, confirming that that the use of different models and practices of teaching are important tools for the consolidation of learning. The analysis of the teaching books showed that pictures were the resource present more often, while resources like cartoons and indication of sites were present in only one of the seven books. Therefore, the analysis of teaching books is important, because they are a source of learning and of conceiving for the students, and they must have teaching resources, like the indication of sites and didactic models to aid in learning.