O mundo dos fungos: uso de uma sequência didática como material de apoio para o ensino de micologia no ensino médio

Abstract

The teaching of mycology emphasizes the significance of fungi in ecosystems and their applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Fungi are utilized in biotechnology, agriculture, phytopathology, and human medicine, among other areas. Historically classified under the "kingdom fungi," these organisms are now recognized within the domain Eukarya. Despite their importance, there has been a noted reduction in biology classes at the high school level, along with a scarcity of content on mycology in textbooks, which contributes to students' difficulties in understanding this subject. This study aimed to enhance the teaching and learning of mycology through active methodologies and an investigative approach. It employed action research and participant observation as methodological strategies, along with a preliminary questionnaire to assess students' prior knowledge about fungi in a first-year high school class at EEEFM Tancredo Neves in Bayeux-PB. Following this, an Investigative Didactic Sequence (IDS) consisting of nine classes was implemented as a pedagogical tool to facilitate the teaching of mycology. After the IDS, the initial questionnaire was reapplied to compare students' prior knowledge with what they acquired during the research. Results showed that students had a 50% success rate on the initial questionnaire, with satisfactory responses related to everyday topics, such as the decomposition process in food caused by fungi and their role in ecosystems. However, students struggled with more specific questions, such as the definition of "mycology," the use of fungi in the food and pharmaceutical industries, and certain diseases caused by fungi. After the IDS, approximately 90% of students were able to answer the questions satisfactorily, indicating a significant improvement in content assimilation through the use of active methodologies. The study concluded with the production of a Didactic Guide on Mycology, detailing the entire IDS used in this research, aimed at being shared with science and biology teachers for replication with their students.