Apropriação da linguagem científica nos livros didáticos adotados pelos professores de química da rede pública de Sergipe

Abstract

This dissertation aims to investigate the appropriation of scientific language in chemistry textbooks used by public school teachers in the state of Sergipe, Brazil. Recognizing scientific language as a central element in the construction of knowledge in the discipline, the study is based on the assumption that students’ difficulties in comprehension are often linked to the way this language is presented in textbooks. Thus, the research seeks to analyze how these books address scientific language and to what extent they facilitate or hinder students’ understanding. The study is qualitative in nature, with a documentary approach, and uses chemistry textbooks approved by the Brazilian National Textbook Program (PNLD) as its main source of analysis. The analysis was conducted using the Content Analysis methodology proposed by Bardin, based on categories such as: structure and organization of language, impartiality and objectivity, formality and complexity, as well as decontextualization and abstraction. One of the main theoretical foundations of the study is the concept of school scientific language (LCE) as a necessary bridge between scientific language — highly technical and formal — and everyday language, which is more accessible and closer to the students’ reality. The LCE is presented as an intermediary tool that, when well developed in textbooks, can promote better understanding of chemical concepts and facilitate the learning process. The research results indicate significant gaps in the way textbooks address scientific language, revealing a predominance of highly technical and poorly contextualized excerpts, which makes pedagogical mediation and student understanding more difficult. The absence of pedagogical strategies that value LCE and connect scientific and everyday language highlights the need for a critical review of textbooks. It is concluded that the inclusion of texts with more accessible language, meaningful graphic resources, and contextualized explanations can enhance the appropriation of scientific language, contributing to a more meaningful and inclusive chemistry education.