Olhares sobre o pcientífico da Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Bahia, Brasil

Abstract

The general objective of this PhD study is to understand the conceptions of professors and students in the fields of Natural and Human Sciences at Santa Cruz State University (Uesc) regarding Heritage Education and its relationship with scientific collections in activities of research, teaching, and extension. It is important to highlight that this study refers to “Scientific Heritage” as the scientific collections concerning the field of Natural Sciences that present an undeniable historical value. This way, for a better understanding of the study, we have created the following research question: how do professors and students in the field of Natural and Human Sciences perceive Heritage Education and the use of scientific collections in research, teaching and extension activities at Uesc? Methodologically, this investigation is characterized as an empirical qualitative research of a descriptive nature. The participants of the study were the professors (curators of Uesc collections and faculty involved in teaching) and the students from the field of Natural and Human Sciences. With the objective of achieving the proposed objective, initially a mapping of the scientific collections of Uesc was conducted. Subsequently, the criteria were delimited and the potential participants for an interview were selected. Therefore, we have conducted interviews with the selected professors and students with the objective of comprehending their conception concerning the scientific collections and how they perceive (and if they do) the dialogue between the scientific collections and the activities of research, teaching and extension at Uesc. Considering the procedures for obtaining the data obtained in this investigation, we have conducted the interviews proposing initial questions to guide the discourse, allowing the participant to speak freely without interventions. Lastly, we have conducted a documental analysis through which a systematic study was carried out, considering the documents related to the scientific collections, seeking to understand their historical formation, their distribution in the collections and the cataloging of the items, with the aim of substantiating the reports produced with the interviews, enhancing the narratives. The obtained discourses were organized, categorized, analyzed, and described throughout the investigation using content analysis. The obtained results have revealed needs to safeguard the Scientific Heritage, as well as the need to design public policies aimed at the preservation of this scientific legacy. Therefore, it is expected that the discussions proposed here may contribute to the preservation and valorization of scientific collections, since these collections are part of the national Scientific Heritage. In addition to being heritage assets that establish a relationship between the past and the present, their preservation allows for an understanding of the functioning and scientific thinking of past societies.