O plano inclinado como ferramenta investigativa: uma sequência didática para a aprendizagem significativa da cinemática e dinâmica no ensino médio

Abstract

The teaching of Physics in basic education faces the challenge of overcoming rote learning disconnected from reality. This work investigates the contributions of using a low-cost inclined plane for teaching Kinematics, from the perspective of David Ausubel's Theory of Meaningful Learning and Galileo Galilei's experimental method. The research adopted a mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) case study approach, conducted with high school students. The didactic intervention followed a structured sequence: assessment of prior knowledge, historical-theoretical contextualization, investigative experimentation, and systematization. Data were collected through questionnaires (pre- and post-test), field notes, and analysis of experimental activities. The results indicated that experimentation, when articulated with the history of science, acts as an effective advance organizer, facilitating the transition from intuitive Aristotelian conceptions to a Newtonian understanding of motion. It can be concluded that the inclined plane, more than a demonstration tool, served as a cognitive instrument capable of promoting the progressive differentiation of the concepts of speed and acceleration, favoring meaningful learning.