FLEX-AS: DIDACTIC STRATEGY FOR SCIENCE TEACHING FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE CRITICAL MEANINGFUL LEARNING AND COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY
Meaningful Learning. Didactic Strategy. Science Education.
From the desire to promote more meaningful and critical learning in science education at the Basic Education level by allowing for knowledge constructed by its students, this research aimed to develop a didactic strategy grounded in the dialogue between Meaningful Learning and Cognitive Flexibility Theories. Subsequently, it sought to propose a didactic strategy for science education at the Basic Education level that facilitates the promotion of meaningful and critical learning. This research is categorized as theoretical, analytical, and developmental, and its foundation was conceived based on the theoretical assumptions of Meaningful Learning, Critical Meaningful Learning, and Cognitive Flexibility theories, which the author has been exploring since their master's studies. Through an analysis of the principles of these theories, points of convergence were identified, which include: Emphasis on Knowledge Construction, Relevance of Prior Knowledge, Focus on Deep Understanding, Contextualized Learning, and Progressivity of Learning. In order to apply this new theoretical model, these points were utilized in the creation of a didactic strategy for science education. This strategy, referred to as FLEX-AS, consists of three stages: Planning, Orientation, and Experience. These stages were characterized and theoretically grounded. The Experience stage comprises six steps, with the potential for a progressive development of learning through various didactic actions in a meaningful and flexible manner. Following the theoretical and methodological characterization of FLEX-AS, a proposal for its application in Biology education is presented, along with future perspectives on its use in educational scenarios. Implementations of FLEX-AS demonstrated the conceptual feasibility of integrating Meaningful Learning, Critical Meaningful Learning, and Cognitive Flexibility theories, elevating meaningful learning to a less theoretical, more applied, and thus more usable level for educators.