BETWEEN RADIO, WI-FI AND VISIBLE LIGHT: TEACHING ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES IN HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH AN INQUIRY-BASED APPROACH

Abstract

The persistence of traditional practices in Physics education, still centered on content transmission and the mechanical application of formulas, hinders the conceptual understanding of topics such as electromagnetic waves in High School. Considering the guidelines of the Brazilian National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) and the need for approaches that promote problematization, scientific argumentation, and contextualization, this article aims to present an inquiry-based proposal for teaching electromagnetic waves articulated with elements from the History and Philosophy of Science, the relations between Science, Technology, Society and Environment, and Digital Information and Communication Technologies. This study is theoretical- bibliographic and propositional in nature, systematizing a didactic organization structured around a problem situation involving radio, Wi-Fi, mobile phones, microwave ovens, and visible light. The proposal mobilizes prior knowledge, encourages the formulation and confrontation of hypotheses, and leads to the conceptual systematization of the nature, propagation, and applications of electromagnetic waves, highlighting relationships between frequency, wavelength, and energy. As a result, a didactic organization suitable for the school context is outlined, capable of fostering the understanding of interactions between radiation and matter as well as the different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is concluded that the inquiry-based approach, integrated with digital resources and formative assessment, contributes to more meaningful and critical learning aligned with current curricular guidelines.