Modelos atômicos no ensino médio: abordagem clássica ou quântica?

Abstract

It is perceptible the difficulty of students at the high school level about the content of atomic models. As the name implies, this knowledge is based on models, theoretical forms that attempt to explain the world around us or chemical phenomena. A learning disability is in fact from the necessity of abstraction, which is often taken in the form of analogies, expressions, metaphors and generalizations. In addition it is observed that some students can not say which is the most current atomic model, which may be due to some limitations in textbooks for presenting summarized in this matter content, and own teaching in the classroom. Also it is found that the vestibular and ENEM, major selective processes to entry in college in Brazil, can generally limit the content covered by teachers, directing to a classical or quantum approach to the matter. To learn how this is being covered, a study was done a in some ENEM tests, and book reviews appearing in the National Textbook Program for Secondary Education of 2012, based on questioning and evaluation of their texts. Of the four books analyzed, only one contained approach to modern atomic model. The other books showed no approach about quantic atomic models, one that books presented the mixture of classic, semi-classic and quantic models. The ENEM tests analyzed, was not possible observed questions using atomic models, whereas they were in the Notice of the examination.