Se tirar o neuro, sobra o quê? Uma análise crítica das relações entre o Ensino de Ciências e as Neurociências a partir das contribuições de A. R. Luria

Abstract

The "neuroscientific" turn at the end of the 20th century was marked by an increase in publications in the field of Neuroscience and the popularization of this knowledge. Various fields, including the Humanities, sought possible contributions from brain research to address their issues, and among these areas were Education and Science Teaching. As a result, research in Science Teaching was produced with the aim of building bridges with Neuroscience, mobilizing so-called neuroscientific knowledge and findings to rethink teacher education and organize teaching activities. This research aimed to analyze the conceptions of Neuroscience present in Science Teaching studies and the validity of their implications for teacher training and practice. As theoretical support for the analysis of these studies, we drew on the works of Soviet psychologist and physician A. R. Luria (1902-1977), grounded in Historical-Dialectical Materialism and Cultural-Historical Psychology, to reflect on Neuroscience. This qualitative research consisted of a systematic literature review, analyzing 29 works published between 2012 and 2022 (1 doctoral thesis, 14 master’s dissertations, and 14 articles). We analyzed the works and developed two axes of analysis: 1) Assumptions for teacher training and practice; 2) Proposals for methodological and procedural choices. We concluded that the research has reproduced hegemonic and ideological conceptions of Neuroscience, based on the functioning of the nervous system, as well as the reproduction of neuromyths. By not addressing the epistemological aspects of Neuroscience, these studies end up reproducing ideological and naturalizing conceptions about the individual and development, leading to the blaming of students and teachers for the failure of the educational process.