A química dos alimentos fermentados: explorando os conhecimentos no ensino de química.

Abstract

Chemistry teaching in high school still faces challenges related to the excessive abstraction of concepts and the difficulty of connecting content to students’ everyday lives, which may negatively affect their interest and learning. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the potential of fermented foods as an interdisciplinary teaching resource for Chemistry education, integrated with Biology, in a 2nd-year high school class at CETI Deputado Pinheiro Machado, located in the municipality of Cocal, Piauí, Brazil. The research was characterized as a qualitative-quantitative and exploratory study, developed in partnership with the Chemistry and Biology teachers through an interdisciplinary workshop that combined dialogic classes and experimental activities. As a pedagogical resource, an illustrated booklet containing experimental guides was developed to support students during the practical activities. Fermentation processes were explored through the production and analysis of foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and bread. Considering the time required for fermentation, part of the experiments was carried out previously at home, while bread production was conducted entirely in the classroom, allowing direct observation of the fermentation process over approximately 45 minutes. Learning assessment was conducted qualitatively through observation of students’ interactions and quantitatively through questionnaires. The results showed a good understanding of the content covered, with 100% of the students correctly answering two of the four objective questions in the Chemistry questionnaire, while the Biology questionnaire presented correct answer rates ranging from 57.1% to 100%. In addition, a high level of student engagement was observed during the practical activities and discussions of the observed phenomena. It can be concluded that the use of fermented foods, combined with an interdisciplinary approach and accessible teaching resources, constitutes an effective strategy for promoting meaningful and contextualized learning aligned with the guidelines of the Brazilian National Common Curricular Base (BNCC)