Conceptual Profile, Heat, Experimentation.
According to the theory of conceptual profiles, a single concept can be understood from different ways of thinking and expressed in different ways of speaking, depending on the context and situation. These different ways of thinking are organized into zones, based on epistemological, ontological and axiological commitments. Also, according to this theory, learning takes place from two dimensions, one cognitive, which concerns the constitution of new zones, and the other metacognitive, which is related to the awareness of students about the polysemy of the concept. Considering the polysemic nature of the concept of heat and the ideas that constitute the theory of conceptual profiles, the general objective of our work was to analyze the learning of the concept of heat, from the dimension of learning the theory of conceptual profiles, through the use of experimental activities in the classroom. We believe that the use of experimental activities can be a good way of possibilities for discursive interactions between professor and students, contributing to the process of awareness of the different ways of thinking about the concept of heat and construction of new meanings. Starting from a series of five experiments that were proposed for the teaching of chemistry, based on the conceptual heat profile, all previously adapted and tested, in a monograph work, we applied the experiments in a 3rd year high school class, we identified and we analyze the processes of awareness, enrichment of the conceptual profile of heat, hybrid discourse of the different ones, in addition to observing the construction of meanings in the classroom. Thus, we justify data collection from the intervention by the possibility of observation, on a micro-time scale. For data analysis, we selected excerpts in the transcripts in search of evidence of new constructed meanings (profile enrichment), emergence of conceptual profile zones, hybrid discourse and awareness at a microgenetic level. We conclude that the use of experimental activities can lead to debate and reflection on the different ways of thinking about the concept of heat, and thus act positively in the teaching and learning process, enabling students to have a broader understanding of scientific concepts.