Explorando a cinética química: uma abordagem prática por meio de simuladores computacionais e da metodologia POE

Abstract

This research is grounded in the Meaningful Learning Theory of David Ausubel and investigates the learning of Chemical Kinetics concepts through the implementation of a didactic sequence structured around the POE active methodology (Predict, Observe and Explain), associated with the use of the PhET computer simulator. The study aimed to investigate how the integration of active methodologies and simulators contributes to the meaningful learning of concepts such as collision theory and the factors that influence reaction rates. The research was conducted with second-year high school students from a public school in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, adopting a qualitative approach of an applied nature, with procedures based on Action Research. Data collection included interviews, questionnaires organized as lesson worksheets, and observation records of classroom activities. The POE methodology enabled the analysis of students’ responses and reflections during the Prediction and Explanation stages, providing support for Discursive Textual Analysis. The results indicated advances in the mobilization of prior knowledge, in the understanding of factors that affect reaction rates, and in the development of more elaborated explanations, evidencing indications of meaningful learning. As an educational product, a teaching guide for teachers was developed, proposing an investigative approach that values students’ prior knowledge and promotes meaningful interactions in the teaching and learning process.