História e ensino da Biologia: diferentes paradigmas na abordagem do advento da Penicilina em livros didáticos.

Abstract

This study examines the results of an investigation within the History of Science (HS), with an emphasis on how scientific advances regarding Penicillin are presented in textbooks for Natural Sciences and their Technologies approved by the PNLD/2021 (National Textbook Program). The research adopted a qualitative approach, with documentary and content analysis, aiming to understand whether these materials treat science as a collective process of knowledge construction or as a set of isolated discoveries. Based on a theoretical review, it became evident that Philosophy and the History of Science contribute to understanding scientific knowledge as a historical, collective, and situated construction, contrasting with the idea of a punctual and individual discovery. Regarding the analysis of textbooks, the results indicate that, although the materials analyzed present elements of contextualization related to the application of penicillin and its social impacts, a narrative centered on the idea of a specific discovery still predominates, with limited problematization of the historical, collective, and plural processes involved in the production of scientific knowledge. The study contributes to the field of science and biology education by bringing reflections on the importance of Philosophy and History of Science for a more critical and contextualized education, especially regarding events related to the advent of Penicillin.