Estratégias pedagógicas para abordar doenças parasitárias no ensino de ciências na educação básica

Abstract

The incidence of parasitic infectious diseases represents a major public health problem, especially in Brazil, where they affect a large part of the population due to social, economic, and environmental determinants, such as the lack of quality basic sanitation, ecosystem degradation, and climate change. Therefore, measures are needed to mitigate the impacts of the current scenario, such as building knowledge on the subject through health education in schools. This research seeks to develop pedagogical strategies to address the topic in elementary school education, in order to integrate the concepts of diseases, socio-environmental determinants, forms of prophylaxis, and treatment. The research is qualitative-quantitative and exploratory in nature and has as its pedagogical strategy the development and application of an interactive teaching sequence addressing parasitic diseases. The target audience was seventh-grade students at the Escola Municipal Ativa Integral Governador Leonel Brizola, in Tambauzinho, João Pessoa-PB. Data were obtained from active observation, questionnaires, and logbook entries, while data processing was based on content analysis and statistical analysis. The study revealed that students had theoretical limitations regarding parasitic diseases and expressed habits that were inadequate for preventing the diseases studied. The training process was successful, addressing the most common diseases such as ascariasis, hookworm infection, and giardiasis. It was possible to develop knowledge that can generate new habits and perceptions about parasitic diseases in students. These concerns were confirmed in statements made by students when asked about their level of satisfaction and learning achieved through the educational activities. Using different approaches, it was evident that the research contributed to the teaching and learning of the students, who, in the end, were able to identify and characterize the diseases addressed, socialize knowledge, and think and act more autonomously and critically when adopting new control and prevention measures.