Galileu Galilei, Giordano Bruno, Physics Teaching and History of Science

• Grant number: 23/16201-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Education - Educational Teaching and Learning
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Roberto Plaza Teixeira
• Grantee: Bruno Henrique Torres
• Host Institution: Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo (IFSP). Campus Caraguatatuba. Caraguatatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims to investigate the use of historical aspects of the works of Galileo Galilei and Giordano Bruno in teaching physics, aiming to enrich students' understanding of the evolution of scientific thought and the nature of science. The historical approach will seek to contextualize the ideas of these scientists, highlighting their influence on the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe and analyzing what was happening in the same period in other regions of the planet, especially in China. The study will use qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze the impact of including historical content in teaching. Educational activities and structured teaching resources will be developed to explore the connection between scientific concepts and the historical contexts in which they emerged. The developments of the actions and the participants' conceptions will be investigated through interviews, questionnaires and observation. The results of the activities will be characterized, quantified and evaluated by how they can improve students' interest in physics, help combat science denial and promote a deeper understanding of physical concepts and the way science is produced. This project aims to improve physics teaching and bring students closer to the historical process of building science.