Antigravity experiements as tool for developing the concept of universal gravitation

Abstract

The formation of concepts is a cognitive process linked to the process of constructing meanings (Vygotsky, 2009). Furthermore, so-called anti-gravity experiments, as they challenge gravity, can be enriching tools in the teaching and learning process, as demonstrated in this research. Thus, this work aims to establish the theoretical and methodological elements that allow structuring learning and the formation of scientific concepts from experimentation. Based on the cognitive learning theory presented by Vygotsky (2009), this research adopted an approach grounded in social interaction and the development of an instigation for attractive experiments in students' perception. Thus, we adopted the Didactic Sequence (SD) as proposed by Zabala (1998) for a structured didactic foundation with a beginning, middle, and end. In this context, anti-gravity experiments brought an instigative framework for the understanding of the scientific concept, although we know that gravity cannot be annulled, we perceived in the results a collaborative participation in the students in groups and in the oral presentation. Finally, we highlight that this article is a cut of a completed master's research.