Didactic games in cell biology in university extension: university–school interaction

Abstract

Understanding the fundamentals of Cell Biology is a central element in the scientific education of students in basic education, as it underpins learning related to contemporary topics such as biotechnology, genetics, and health. However, these contents are often approached in fragmented and decontextualized ways, which compromises the construction of meaningful learning. In this context, this article presents an experience report of a university extension project aimed at promoting interaction between the university and a public school through the development and application of didactic games and thematic seminars focused on Cell Biology. The experience involved first-semester undergraduate students from the Physiotherapy and Dentistry programs who, within the courses of Cytology and Human Genetics (Physiotherapy) and Basic Biology (Dentistry), developed pedagogical materials and applied in third-year high school classes. Methodologically, the study is grounded in a qualitative-interpretive paradigm and dialogues with reflective research, drawing on Jean Piaget’s Genetic Epistemology, which conceives knowledge as the result of interaction between subject and object. The results indicate that the didactic games and thematic seminars fostered student engagement, learner protagonism, and conceptual reconstruction by promoting situations of action, interaction, and reflection. It is concluded that university extension, by articulating theory and practice, contributes both to the initial education of undergraduate students and to the improvement of Biology teaching in Basic Education, strengthening university–school interaction.