PATHS TO SCHOOL SUCCESS: TEACHING PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD AS RESOURCES FOR STUDENT PROTAGONISM

Abstract

This report documents a pedagogical intervention at ECIT Advogado Nobel Vita (Coremas, Paraíba, Brazil) aimed at learning recovery and improved Physics achievement through the integration of School Astronomy, hands-on experimentation, and the scientific method, with an emphasis on student agency and community engagement. Launched at the end of the 2nd term of 2024, the program blended theory with laboratory practice, digital simulators and game-based activities (Kahoot), rocket-building workshops for MOBFOG, telescope observation sessions (including the 10/17/2024 Supermoon), and a public, scaled Solar System exhibit at the Estevam Marinho Dam. Continuous monitoring (surveys, photographic records, and grade analyses) showed substantive effects: the Physics failure rate, which reached 53% in class 3C and exceeded 40% elsewhere, dropped to below 20% in most classes, with class 2A as an outlier due to timetable constraints. External recognition included six bronze medals in OBA and an unprecedented advancement of students to the 2nd phase of OBF (11/23/2024), alongside strengthened school–community ties, heightened interest in Natural Sciences, and broader participation in science olympiads. Grounded in Brazil’s BNCC and aligned with the SDGs, the project demonstrated high replicability and the ability to foster critical thinking, problem solving, academic self-efficacy, and student retention, consolidating a sustainable scientific culture in public high school education.