Photosynthesis: overcoming barriers in learning through the use of interactive didactic model

Photosynthesis is an essential phenomenon for the maintenance of life, however many students have difficulties to understand it, creating a barrier in the teaching and learning process that needs to be overcome. Therefore, the objective of this work was to develop and apply to high school students, didactic models that present in a clear and interactive way the structure of the Chloroplast and the molecular processes involved in the Photochemical Stage and in the Calvin Cycle, using low-cost and accessible materials. Analyzing the pre-test and post-test, it was found that the didactic models helped students to understand the biochemical processes of sunlight absorption, oxygen release and carbon dioxide fixation, still allowed the deconstruction of erroneous concepts. Thus, the models proved to be effective in building complex knowledge related to photosynthesis by allowing the representation of reality in a simplified and dynamic way.