Didactics of Physics from the perspective of Cognitive Neuroscience: curricular anlysis of Physics teaching degrees in the Northeast region of Brazil

Abstract

This work consists of an introductory investigation on whether SCD, adopted by undergraduate courses in Brazil, makes use of the contributions of Cognitive Neuroscience to the learning of scientific concepts. To this end, it was decided to conduct an exploratory study, based on a documentary analysis of the curricular matrices of the undergraduate courses in Physics of the federal universities of the Northeast of Brazil. The results indicate that none of them offers a discipline with a Cognitive Neuroscience approach, or with a Didactics of Physics with its own theoretical framework. This evidence is quite worrying, since, in the specific literature of the area, relevant works are found that validate the contributions of Cognitive Neuroscience in the teaching and learning process, especially scientific content. In addition, it is argued that the Didactics of Physics has its own theoretical framework, with a view to a more robust initial and continuing education, which favors a significant learning of scientific concepts.