Aprendizagem e alfabetização científica no Museu de Ciências Naturais da Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa

Abstract

Learning is a continuous process that develops throughout life in different contexts, being influenced by experiences, interactions, environments, personal motivations, and sociocultural factors. In this context, science museums stand out as privileged non-formal environments for learning and for the promotion of scientific literacy, since, through collections, exhibitions, and educational activities, they bring the public closer to scientific concepts and phenomena and act as mediators between science and society. The Natural Sciences Museum (MCN) of the State University of Ponta Grossa (UEPG) promotes direct contact between visitors and exhibitions, educational activities, and collections related to geodiversity, biodiversity, archaeology, and the natural history of Paraná. Therefore, this research focuses on spontaneous visitors of the MCN, who move through the sections autonomously, guided by personal interests and motivations, and aims to analyze the potential of the MCN as a space that promotes learning and scientific literacy. As specific objectives, it seeks to: evaluate the sections of the MCN based on the Scientific Literacy Indicators; understand the motivations that guide the spontaneous visit; identify the occurrence and characteristics of learning expressed by visitors; and analyze to what extent and under which conditions the museum visit contributes to the development of aspects of scientific literacy. Regarding the methodological procedures, initially, an analysis of the museum sections was carried out based on the Scientific Literacy Indicators (Marandino et al., 2018), aiming to understand to what extent these sections promote scientific literacy. In addition, 250 structured questionnaires were applied to spontaneous museum visitors, designed to identify the participants’ profile, the elements that influence museum learning (Falk; Dierking, 2012), and the presence of the Structuring Axes of Scientific Literacy (Sasseron; Carvalho, 2011). The results revealed a profile of spontaneous visitors composed of young and educated adults, especially UEPG students, which influenced the conceptual appropriation of the exhibition contents. The main motivations included curiosity, interest in science, and the desire to know the museum, highlighting the MCN as an environment that combines leisure, knowledge, and reflection. The analysis of the personal, sociocultural, and physical contexts showed that museum learning results from the interaction between individual experiences, social interactions, and stimuli from the exhibition environment, with objects, written information, and interactive resources being central elements in the construction of meanings, while the company during the visit strengthened collaborative learning. The analysis of the indicators and the axes of scientific literacy showed that the museum promotes conceptual understanding, encourages reflections on the nature of science, and stimulates the perception of the relationships between science, technology, society, and the environment. Thus, the thesis was confirmed that the MCN constitutes a space for learning, scientific literacy, and citizenship education, promoting the understanding of science as part of everyday life. Finally, the research reaffirms the importance of museums, especially science museums, as strategic environments for the promotion of scientific literacy today, as they provide educational experiences that integrate emotion, curiosity, investigation, and reflection.