Contribuições de um simulador virtual no estudo de circuitos elétricos na Educação de Jovens e Adultos e no Ensino Médio Regular

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis aimed to investigate the use of the virtual simulator PhET Interactive Simulations in Physics teaching, focusing on the topic of direct current electric circuits. Since Physics is often seen by students as a difficult and highly theoretical subject, the research sought to understand whether virtual experimentation helps make learning more dynamic and comprehensible. The study was carried out in a state school in the state of Minas Gerais, through the development of a didactic proposal in two classes: one from the 3rd year of regular high school and another from Youth and Adult Education (EJA). The methodology included the practical use of the simulator during classes and, at the end, the application of a Likert-scale questionnaire in order to assess students’ perception of learning, engagement, and ease of use of the resource. The results showed that, from the students’ perspective, the simulator functioned as an excellent tool to support teaching and learning in both contexts, helping with the understanding of concepts, the visualization of phenomena, and motivation and interest in the content studied. In the regular class, engagement in problem-solving was observed, generated by the exchange of knowledge among students. In the EJA class, the students’ enthusiasm and practical curiosity stood out as they virtually manipulated the circuits. It can be concluded that the use of the simulator contributed to overcoming the traditional and passive teaching model by placing students as active constructors of their own knowledge and fostering the understanding of physical phenomena, regardless of the educational modality.