REPRESENTAÇÃO DE MULHERES NA HISTÓRIA DA CIÊNCIA EM LIVROS DIDÁTICOS DE FÍSICA DO PNLD 2026–2029:

IMPLICAÇÕES PARA A FORMAÇÃO CIENTÍFICA E O DESENVOLVIMENTO REGIONAL

Abstract

Science education in Brazil faces the persistent challenge of meaningfully integrating the History of Science (HOS), particularly regarding the representation of the diversity of actors involved in the production of scientific knowledge. In this context, textbooks play a central role in shaping students’ perceptions of the nature of science and its protagonists. This study analyzed the frequency and forms of representation of scientists in seven high school Physics textbook collections approved in the Brazilian National Textbook Program (PNLD) for the 2026–2029 cycle. The investigation combined a quantitative approach, based on counting mentions of scientists, with a qualitative analysis of how these figures are presented in the didactic materials. The results indicate a marked gender asymmetry, with a predominance of male scientists and a significantly reduced presence of women. A limited representation of Latin American women scientists was also observed, suggesting a double invisibility related both to gender and regional origin. Beyond the quantitative disparity, many women scientists appear only in brief biographical references or marginal mentions, without deeper integration into the conceptual explanations of physics presented in the textbooks. These findings indicate that textbooks still reproduce a predominantly male and limited narrative of scientific development. Considering the role of basic education in shaping scientific trajectories, expanding the diversity of references present in educational materials may contribute to strengthening scientific education and, more broadly, to supporting the consolidation of scientific and technological capacities relevant to regional development.