Análise da abordagem do tema Botânica nos livros didáticos do Ensino médio e sua possível influência no desempenho dos alunos no Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM)

Abstract

This work focuses on the importance of textbooks as one of the pedagogical instruments that can contribute to the construction of knowledge, in addition to their relevance for students' performance in the National Secondary Education Examination (ENEM). The National Textbook Program (PNLD) regulates the quality of this resource, establishing criteria for its approval and distribution. Considering that in public schools, textbooks are often the main source of pedagogical support, their quality plays a crucial role in preparing students for the aforementioned exam. Thus, quality textbooks can contribute to success in the ENEM, covering the content in a way that develops the analytical, interpretative and argumentative skills required by the test. One of the knowledge areas of the exam is the one entitled “Natural Sciences”, in which knowledge about the contents arising from Biological Sciences and, more specifically, botany, are required of students. The lack of adequate knowledge in botany can reflect on ENEM performance, making it important to use efficient teaching resources to overcome these obstacles. The main objective of this work was to analyze how the theme of “botany” is approached in Biology textbooks used in high school, in the public school system in the city of Maceió (AL) and its possible influence on students’ performance in the ENEM. Six schools from the public education network of Maceió (AL) were selected: the three that obtained the highest averages in the 2021 ENEM, in the Natural Sciences category, and the three that obtained the lowest averages and the textbooks analyzed by them used, for this purpose a form was created and filled out for each collection of books used in this analysis. Among the analysis criteria present in the form are: theoretical/contextual aspects, botany content, exercises/activities and additional resources. When analyzing the result between the quality of the textbook and performance on the ENEM, the impact of a high-quality book and supporting material that is also of high quality becomes evident. The use of an effective book, which comprehensively addresses various topics and uses simple and accessible language, can contribute to ENEM performance. As a conclusion, we can relate the importance of the textbook in the process of teaching and learning content related to botany and its relationship with performance in the ENEM. Thus, this work offers an analysis of the relevance of teaching botany, highlighting the crucial role of textbooks as fundamentals tools in the students' educational process. These resources not only provide information, but also promote critical skills, specific strategies, and autonomy, contributing to successful ENEM performance.