Banca de DEFESA: NATAN CAVALCANTE BRANDAO

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : NATAN CAVALCANTE BRANDAO
DATE: 11/12/2024
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Online via Google Meet
TITLE:

The Sci-Fi and Pop Culture in the Formation of Social Representations about the Planet Mars: Implications for Physics Education

KEY WORDS:

Planet Mars; Social representations; Teacher Training; Physics Education.

PAGES: 125
BIG AREA: Ciências Humanas
AREA: Educação
SUBÁREA: Ensino-Aprendizagem
SUMMARY:

While inspiring imaginations and visions of the future, sci-fi and pop culture can also shape how people perceive and interpret technological and scientific information, exerting significant influence on the formation of social representations. These representations can guide people's practical actions, not only in ways that justify them but also in ways that shape and direct the construction of social identity. In the case of Planet Mars, for example, these representations can lead to mistaken or naive conceptions, revealing a lack of knowledge about national participation in space exploration and technology development, as well as a dominant North American perspective on scientific and technological progress. Thus, in the educational context, we question and aim to investigate the social representations of undergraduate physics students in their initial training regarding Planet Mars. To what extent are these representations influenced by sci-fi and pop culture, and how might they impact Physics Education in Basic Education? For this purpose, students regularly enrolled in the in-person Physics Degree program at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) were interviewed, with a focus on subgroups entering in 2024, as well as participants in the PIBID and RP teaching programs, totaling 72 undergraduate students in the research. For the theoretical-methodological framework, we used Moscovici's Theory of Social Representations, combined with Abric's Structural Approach (Central Core Theory). Data were collected using the Free Word Association Technique (FWAT) and Hierarchy through questionnaires. Prototypical analysis of the data revealed that the terms "life," "exploration," "universe," "astronomy," and "water" emerged as possible central elements of the undergraduate students' social representations of Mars. In general, the results suggest that undergraduate physics students show interest in subjects related to astronomy and space exploration. However, the social representations of Mars reflect a common-sense perspective, reinforced by mass media, including topics such as human colonization of Mars and extraterrestrial life. This dissertation aims to support teacher training in Physics and contribute to efforts to counteract the impacts of fake news, conspiracy theories, misleading technological and scientific information, and socio-political biases surrounding the planet Mars.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2195626 - MILTON THIAGO SCHIVANI ALVES
Externa ao Programa - 4197701 - ERIKA DOS REIS GUSMAO ANDRADE - UFRNExterno à Instituição - PEDRO DONIZETE COLOMBO JUNIOR - UFTM