Percepções de estudantes de escolas públicas com deficiência visual sobre o sol, a lua e os fenômenos astronômicos relacionados

Abstract

Understanding celestial bodies and astronomical phenomena is an individual construct, shaped by each person's experiences and sensory perceptions. Therefore, individuals with visual impairments also develop their own interpretations of the sky, based on their experiences. On this base, the central question is: how do visually impaired students form their perceptions of the Sun, the Moon, and celestial phenomena, and what factors influence this construction? In this context, this work, situated in the field of Astronomy education from an inclusive perspective, focuses on analyzing the perception of three visually impaired students about the Sun, the Moon, and associated astronomical phenomena, in their relationships with the living world. This Science Education research is a qualitative case study conducted in state schools in the urban area of Humaitá, Amazonas, with students in the second cycle of Elementary School and High School with low vision. Data collection, carried out through narrative interviews, used an interview guide with twelve open-ended and descriptive questions. Thematic content analysis by frequency analysis (Bardin's technique) was used for data analysis and processing. The data analysis allowed us to map how visually impaired students relate to the sky in their daily lives, identify the factors that influence their astronomical worldview, and understand which senses are fundamental in the process of understanding knowledge about the sky. It has been demonstrated that visually impaired students constructed their perceptions of the Sun, the Moon, and astronomical phenomena primarily through tactile, auditory, and thermal experiences. These perceptions are profoundly shaped by culture, society, and individual experiences. These findings highlight the need to transform education, creating pedagogical experiences that value touch, sound, movement, and spatial perception for a three-dimensional understanding of the universe, a benefit that can be extended to all students. Finally, the study concludes that incorporating multiple ways of perceiving the world goes beyond simple adaptation; it is a practice that, by valuing different sensory experiences, enriches the understanding of the world for all people.