O ensino da micologia e o uso de sequências didáticas: desmistificando os fungos no dia a dia

Abstract

One of the concerns related to education is the continuing education of teachers. As time passes, they may repeat teaching strategies without any methodological or organizational change in their classes, becoming hostages to the textbook. Fungi are organisms that play an important role in society, participating in ecological processes and demonstrating attractive biotechnological potential for industries and human health. The content about Mycology in High School is important and complex, and for a long time, classes have been summarized only on the harmful effects that fungi cause. Therefore, the present work analyzed the presence of the theme Mycology in textbooks (LDs) by evaluating the presence of the theme, a literature review of articles with didactic sequences (SDs) aimed at the teaching of Mycology for High School published in the last ten years, as well as the production of a didactic sequence for the teaching of Mycology based on the Three Pedagogical Moments. The analysis of the LDs showed significant differences between the two books from previous editions (2016 and 2018) and the two collections approved by the PNLD 2021, aligned with the New High School (NEM). The 2016 and 2018 editions contained chapters dedicated to fungi, covering morphological, nutritional, metabolic, reproductive, relationships, and impacts on health and the economy. However, the LDs of the PNLD 2021 drastically reduced the content, pages dedicated to the theme, and practical activities related to Mycology. In addition, the information provided needed to be contextualized, depriving students of the theoretical foundation necessary to understand the relevance of fungi. The LDs do not provide approaches in Mycology that connect the content with the reality of students. The need for a complete foundation on fungi in the new LDs contrasts with the richness and importance of this group for nature and society. About the SDs review, nine articles were identified that presented SDs addressing this theme, revealing a significant deficit. Approximately 87% of the sequences analyzed contained practical activities to deepen the understanding of the content. The others used other strategies highlighting the need for complementary approaches to facilitate effective assimilation of Mycology. Thus, SDs emerge as a fundamental tool that contributes to teaching. They promote investigative practices and develop argumentative and scientific skills, allowing students to be the actors in the construction of their knowledge and allowing teachers to adopt various strategies, improving the teaching and learning process. In this way, the bibliographic review of the present work points to a significant difference in the presence of the content of Mycology in the latest editions of the LDs, such as the reduction of content, lack of a phylogenetic approach, without emphasizing the importance that this group of organisms has in the environment and our daily lives. Therefore, it highlights the need for more productions of SDs for teaching Mycology to help teachers fill gaps left by the LDs and students understand the diversity and relevance of fungi through different practices and strategies.