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Recebido em 11/4/12; aceito em 12/11/12; publicado na web em 18/2/13 VISUALIZATION IN CHEMISTRY EDUCATION: DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES. Visualization is a fast-growing field in science education. This review covers 171 articles published between 2001 and 2010 in 14 science education journals. Major findings include: i -despite the predominance of English speaking countries, interest in the topic has increased in several countries; ii -qualitative research is increasing, but quantitative methodologies prevail; iii -the role of peer interaction in group activities is little investigated; iv -research on the way students and teachers use visualization tools is increasing, but most publications focus on the tools; v -structure of matter remains the most common subject covered.Keywords: visualization; chemical education; educational research. INTRODUÇÃODentre os diversos temas contemplados pela pesquisa em ensino de ciência e, especificamente, de química, a visualização tem sido objeto de estudo recorrente, uma vez que pesquisadores da educação e professores de química têm reconhecido a importância do assunto para o ensino dessa ciência.1 Há, inclusive, edições especiais dedicadas ao tema, como a edição número 3 (Visual and Spatial Modes in Science Learning) do periódico International Journal of Science Education, publicada em 2009. No período entre 2001 a 2010, o crescente número de estudos dedicados ao tema tornou a pesquisa em visualização no ensino de química consideravelmente mais densa e diversa, ao que se associa formidável volume de informação. Gobert 2 afirma que os três usos mais comuns do termo visualização na psicologia e na pesquisa educacional incluem três processos distintos, mas não exclusivos: visualização como representações externas, que se referem a formas de representação com finalidade didática, como gráficos, diagramas, modelos e simulações; visualização como representações internas, definidas como construtos mentais internos ou modelos mentais; e visualização como habilidade espacial, que compreende a habilidade visuoespacial de lidar com informações desse gênero.Ainda, de acordo com Gilbert, Reiner e Nakhleh, 3 encontramos na literatura dois significados diferentes para o uso do termo visualização: · 1º significado: o termo visualização é usado como "verbo", visualizar algo, atuar mentalmente sobre uma representação visual, ou seja, atribuir significado. Nestes trabalhos, discutem-se questões relacionadas com a forma como as representações visuais (internas e externas) transformam-se em conhecimento, quais serão os processos mentais envolvidos na atribuição de significado a uma representação visual. 4 · 2º significado: o termo visualização é usado como "nome", algo que foi colocado à disposição de um público, na forma de um objeto material ou virtual. Os estudos que adotam essa convenção analisam o impacto das representações virtuais, ou o uso combinado de vários tipos de ferramentas visuais na aprendizagem. Para Gilbert et al.,6 a visualização está relaci...

Recebido em 17/12/10; aceito em 5/5/11; publicado na web em 29/6/11 USING MOLECULAR MODELING TO STUDY NUCLEOPHILICITY AND BASICITY CONCEPTS. Molecular modeling enables the students to visualize the abstract relationships underlying theoretical concepts that explain experimental data on the molecular and atomic levels. With this aim we used the free software "Arguslab 4.0.1" (semi-empirical method) to study the reaction of 1-chloropropane with ethoxide in solution, known to lead to methyl propyl ether, through the S N 2 mechanism, and propene, through the E 2 mechanism. This tool allows users to calculate some properties (i. e. heat formation or electric charges) and to produce 3D images (molecular geometry, electrostatic potential surface, etc.) that render the comprehension of the factors underlying the reaction´s progress, which are related to the structure of the reagents, and the process kinetic clearer and easier to understand by the students.Keywords: visualization; molecular modeling; mental models. INTRODUÇÃOOs avanços na computação têm permitido a construção de softwares de alta performance, nomeadamente no que diz respeito ao uso de imagens 3D (tridimensionais) projetadas em duas dimensões que, devido a suas características, permitem uma melhor visualização dos modelos adotados pela comunidade científica para representar os arranjos atômicos e os processos envolvidos nos fenômenos químicos. Dada a natureza da Química, em que se buscam, incessantemente, representações de um mundo inacessível à percepção humana para a construção de diversos tipos de modelos (científicos, históricos, curriculares, escolares, mentais, etc.), 1 o uso dessas ferramentas tem-se tornado muito útil na pesquisa e no ensino. De acordo com Gilbert, 2 Russell e Kozma 3 e Chittleborough e Treagust, 4 um requisito essencial para o aprendizado da Química é a habilidade para formar modelos mentais. Sem um modelo mental apropriado, os estudantes não conseguem apreciar as relações entre a escala molecular e o fenômeno macroscópico observado, além de terem dificuldade em perceber a relevância e o papel da Química em suas vidas. De acordo com Gibin e Ferreira: 5 "O uso de modelos é importante para o desenvolvimento da Ciência e, além disso, é parte integrante do processo de aquisição do conhecimento pelo ser humano" (p. 1809). 5A formação de modelos mentais, também designados visualizações internas, tem merecido, por parte de alguns autores, um forte apoio. 2,[6][7][8][9] Embora seu uso seja generalizado, não há uma definição geral ou única do que possa ser entendido por modelo mental. Atualmente, vários pesquisadores se têm afastado da ideia inicial de que haveria algum isomorfismo entre as representações externas e os modelos que as pessoas têm ou constroem em suas cabeças, as representações internas. Neste trabalho, adotamos a perspectiva de modelo mental de Rapp, 6 ou seja, a de se constituir em uma estrutura de conhecimento organizada e internalizada. As relações causais, temporais e espaciais dos conceitos encontrar-se-ão codificadas...

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Information and Communication Technology has allowed the use of several types of visualizations, especially multimedia environments in science teaching. The aim was to investigate how in-service teachers enrolled in a training course understand the nature and the role of visualizations in science teaching as well as the impact of this training on the change of their conceptions. A questionnaire to identify previous conceptions has been applied. It was analyzed the Teaching Learning Sequence made by them and the audiovisual record of their speeches and semi-structured interview with these teachers' groups. As the main result, we highlight development of the knowledge about these tools, especially on the impact of the visual language on apprenticeship and on the notion of scientific model.

This study is a qualitative research where it tries to finding out and analyze the teacher’s pedagogical approaches and difficulties to introduce visualizations in science classroom. The use of visualizations in classroom has increased substantially, especially since the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Fourteen in-service teachers were investigated across a teachers’ training course to seek their difficulties and pedagogical approaches for integrating these tools in teaching and learning sequences (TLS). During the training teachers were invited to build in group (five groups) teaching learning sequences about some science content using visualizations. The methodology is qualitative and a case study design was adopted. It was analysed the TLS made by them and the audiovisual record of their oral communications to the class. It was also analyzed the final semi-structured interview with these teachers’ groups and a final report about the TLS application in classroom. These teachers present mainly pedagogical difficulties in order to select the suitable resource and to realize the full potentialities of these resources and sometimes the role of the teacher towards students and resources in the classroom. The technical barriers were the lack of school computers and appropriated software. The results suggest that these teachers are using mostly constructivist approaches to incorporate the visualizations in classroom trying to take advantage of the interactivity that some of these tools allow. Two groups fall more in transmission view, using this resources mostly to present information and the rest tried to use this resources to build inquiry tasks. They chose above of all multimedia tools to enhance particular concepts and skills and sometimes to innovate presentations. Some difficulties related to pedagogical approaches and technical barriers to use these resources are discussed. Key words: approaches, difficulties, visualizations, teacher pedagogical education.

With this study, we tried to find out the integration process of visualizations in the classroom and see the impact of a teacher training, to discuss and promote the use of visualizations in the Chemistry and Physics, on the conceptions of in service teachers in Brazil and in Portugal. One aimed to identify the preconceptions that these teachers presented early in the training, about the use of visualizations, and the possible changes that occurred after the involvement in the course. One tried also to characterize the pedagogical approaches that teachers used and the difficulties they encountered during the use of visualizations in the Chemistry and Physics teaching. In this study, we used a methodology that has its roots in qualitative research with interpretive guidance. In Brazil fourteen teachers of Chemistry and Natural Sciences of the Elementary and Secondary Education, distributed by fourteen schools belonging to the Greater São Paulo participated in this study. In Portugal had participated fourteen Physics and Chemistry teachers of Elementary and Secondary Education, distributed by eight public schools belong to the region of Lisbon. Since this study was applied in two contexts the strategy chosen was to two study cases, the case of Brazil and the case of Portugal. One used various instruments to collect data: naturalistic observation, questionnaires, interviews and written documents. In data analysis, we used the method of constant questioning and comparison to the saturation of the categories. The results revealed the existence of changes in conceptions about the use of visualizations. In Brazil's case the changes were more pronounced in the reasons for the use of visualizations and on the selection criteria of these resources. In this group, after training the teachers were more aware of the impact of visualizations in knowledge construction, in addition to the motivational role. Likewise, they proved to be more discriminating in the choice of these resources. In the case of Portugal, the changes focused on the selection criteria and the potential of these resources. In this case, the teachers showed tighter criteria for selection of these resources, and recognize other potentials, especially in terms of skills development. Regarding the approaches used in both cases prevailed the ones that deviated more from traditional teaching. Teachers tried to incorporate strategies into their teaching sequences based on constructivist views in order to involve students in their learning. Regarding the difficulties faced by teachers to integrate these resources into their practices, in the case of Brazil they stood either on the technical and pedagogical ones. The technical difficulties were related to the use of technology (simulations, animations) and the pedagogical difficulties were related to the uncertainty about the role of these resources in learning. In the case of Portugal, these difficulties were evident in the pedagogical level, including the role of the teacher in relation to these resources. This s...

The accelerated development of information and communication technologies followed by several studies in the cognitive theory area, have promoted the use and the construction of many visual tools (3D concrete models, statics or dynamics virtual 2D and 3D images, simulations, animations, interactive software, etc) that have been available to educators. With this research it was aimed to investigate how in-service teachers (n=14) enrolled in a teachers’ training course of 40h, understand the nature and the role of visualizations in science teaching as well as the impact of this training. It was also discussed the nature and role of models in science. During the training teachers were invited to build in group teaching learning sequences (TLS) about some science content using visualizations. At the beginning a questionnaire to identify some previous conceptions on this issue have been applied and analyzed. On a later stage it was analyzed the TLS made by them and the audiovisual record of their oral communications to the class. It was also analyzed the final semi-structured interview with these teachers’ groups. As main results we highlight a development of the knowledge about these tools, especially on the impact of the visual language on apprenticeship and on the notion of scientific model. We could also observe a change on the reasons and criteria to use these tools. According to the findings it can be said that this training has expanded the teachers’ initial notion of models and the theoretical background that support the use of this visual resources which was reflected on theirs TLS. Key words: teacher education, visualization, visual tools.