Faraday e as espiras: uma proposta histórico-investigativa para o estudo da corrente induzida

Abstract

With the end of the pandemic, the transition from remote to in-person teaching presents pedagogical challenges, particularly in maintaining student engagement in Physics classes. An effective approach is to use strategies that transform passive students into active learners. In teaching electromagnetic induction, it is challenging to convey the understanding of generating electric current through the variation of magnetic flux meaningfully. We question: how can a historical experiment by Faraday contribute to the teaching of electromagnetism? Our goal was to design and implement a didactic sequence based on the Historical-Investigative Approach (HIA), focused on Faraday's induced current. The methodology involved investigating Faraday's experiments from 1830-1832 and adapting these experiments to the current educational context. The didactic sequence guided students in understanding the principles of generating induced current from Faraday's experiments. The theoretical foundation was based on Faraday's "speculative" approach, which explores previous results, formulates hypotheses, and varies parameters to establish empirical rules. The analysis of the article "Experimental Researches in Electricity," presented to the Royal Society in 1831, served as an investigative scenario. The detailed investigation of the 139 paragraphs of Faraday's article provided an understanding of the experiments and the variations that were analyzed. Implementing the HIA allowed students to comprehend the theoretical concepts of induced current following Faraday's steps. This stimulates the development of critical thinking and the connection between theory and practice. Integrating the history of science with active investigation makes teaching contextualized and engaging, promoting a deep understanding of phenomena and encouraging students' autonomy in knowledge construction. The results indicate that the HIA improved students' theoretical and practical understanding, promoting meaningful and contextualized learning. The integration of the History of Science with investigative activities enriches the teaching-learning process, facilitating the understanding of scientific phenomena and promoting critical skills and student autonomy. We conclude that the HIA in teaching electromagnetism, focusing on Faraday's experiments, was effective in promoting meaningful and contextualized learning. This approach facilitated theoretical understanding and stimulated the development of scientific and critical skills, preparing students for future challenges and contributing to individual formation.