A construção e aplicação de experimentos de baixo custo: o eletroscópio de folhas como ferramenta didática no ensino de física no ensino médio

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis aimed to analyze how the use of low-cost experiments can contribute to students' interest, participation, and interaction in high school Physics classes, focusing on the construction and application of a leaf electroscope. The central research problem arose from the observation that, in most public schools, Physics teaching is still predominantly based on traditional lectures, far removed from investigative practices and limited by the lack of laboratories and teaching materials. This situation hinders the understanding of abstract concepts such as electrostatic phenomena and reduces student engagement, as learners often struggle to establish connections between theory and practice. To address this challenge, a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory experience report was developed, based on the analysis of students' perceptions and interactions during an accessible experimental activity. The study was conducted at two educational institutions: the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Norte (IFRN), Caicó Campus, and Newman Queiroz State School, located in Jucurutu, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, involving a total of 49 high school students. The experimental activity consisted of the collaborative construction of a leaf electroscope using simple and inexpensive materials, with the objective of observing and understanding phenomena such as charging by friction, contact, and induction. Data were collected through direct observations, questionnaires, and visual records produced during the practical activity and were subsequently analyzed using the Content Analysis technique. The experimental activity was very well received by the students, who reported that the lesson was clearer, more dynamic, and more engaging than exclusively theoretical classes. The practical experience promoted motivation, cooperation among classmates, and dialogue with the teacher, expanding opportunities for the exchange of ideas and the collaborative solution of problem situations. The interactions observed during the activity indicated greater student involvement in the knowledge construction process, demonstrating curiosity, active participation, and willingness to test hypotheses and understand the operation of the leaf electroscope. Furthermore, the use of the experiment contributed to overcoming students' alternative conceptions, facilitating the understanding of fundamental electrostatic concepts that are often considered difficult to learn. The findings indicate that the incorporation of low-cost experiments represents an effective teaching strategy for democratizing Science education in contexts with limited infrastructure. The activity proved capable of bridging theory and practice, encouraging student protagonism, and fostering meaningful learning, while reinforcing the importance of methodologies that promote investigation, active participation, and interaction among students. Therefore, the use of the leaf electroscope proved to be a feasible, economical, and transformative alternative for Physics teaching, contributing to making classes more inclusive, contextualized, and aligned with the real needs of Brazilian public education.