Diálogos entre o conhecimento tradicional e o conhecimento científico em uma comunidade ribeirinha amazônica: implicações ao ensino de ciências

Abstract

In the Amazon, riverside communities live in symbiosis with nature, building knowledge that sustains their existence and shapes their cultural identities. Understanding the complexity of this knowledge and promoting dialogue between different forms of knowledge are essential actions to transform education and value diversity. This study, strengthened by the discussion of the Study and Research Group on Mathematics Education and Technologies (Complexus) on the relationship between education and Amazonian culture, started from the following problem-question: how to put traditional riverside knowledge and scientific knowledge into dialogue to enhance the teaching of natural sciences in riverside schools in the municipality of Parintins/AM? This question guided the general objective of understanding the possibilities of dialogue between traditional knowledge and scientific knowledge to enhance the teaching of natural sciences in riverside schools in the municipality of Parintins/AM. The research is based on works on Complexity Theory, transdisciplinarity, dialogical and contextualized teaching, and the appreciation of traditional knowledge in the educational context, by authors such as Morin (2015, 2022), Nicolescu (1999), Moraes and Suanno (2014), and Almeida (2017), who advocate overcoming dichotomies and building a contextualized and comprehensive education. Using a qualitative approach and phenomenological method, the study was carried out at the São Sebastião municipal school, located in a riverside community in the floodplain, with ten students from a multi-grade class (8th and 9th grade of Elementary School), the natural science teacher, and four community members as participants. Data construction occurred through systematic observations, semi-structured interviews, conversation circles, thematic workshops, and analysis of curricular documents. The data were analyzed by triangulation, articulating empirical, theoretical, and documentary information. The results demonstrated that traditional knowledge, such as the use of medicinal plants, fishing techniques and climate variations based on natural signs, interact directly with the natural sciences content in schools. The study concludes that the dialogue between traditional riverside knowledge and scientific knowledge strengthens students' cultural identity, the ties between school and community and promotes contextualized education. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of teacher training that values local knowledge and pedagogical practices that incorporate transdisciplinarity, in order to achieve science teaching that recognizes the cultural and environmental specificities of Amazonian riverside communities. Keywords: Science Teaching; Knowledge Dialogues; Amazon Riverside School; Complexity