Vírus, saúde e pandemia: um estudo sobre as concepções alternativas de escolares do ensino fundamental

Viruses are constantly worked on in the teaching of Science and Biology and are part of one of the themes that are associated with human health, and which became even more evident after the pandemic caused by covid-19. The range of complementary information from digital, television and social media leads students to present different knowledge and impressions on this theme, which often do not present elements of coherence with scientific knowledge about viruses, their characteristics and predicted in health. In view of this reality, this study aimed to analyze the alternative conceptions of elementary school students about viruses. Data collection was carried out with 31 students from the 6th year of a private school in the municipality of Pau dos Ferros, RN. For this, a questionnaire sent by google forms containing 17 open and closed questions on the theme was used. It was found that students have basic conceptions about viruses and that the media has a strong influence on the establishment of ideas on the theme. It was also noticeable that some students have a certain confusion between viruses and microorganisms in general, and especially between what is a disease and what is a symptom. In general, this work can serve as a reference for new studies, especially for teachers who seek to understand the diverse conceptions of scholars about microorganisms, aiming to explore diverse didactic strategies, allowing an improvement in the teaching and learning process in science, especially in science. area of ​​viruses relating to human health.