Alfabetização Visual e Educação Bilíngue no Ensino de Física para Estudantes Surdos

Abstract

This thesis investigates how pedagogical practices involving deaf students are configured in Brazilian public high schools, with special attention to the interaction between Physics teachers and Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) interpreters (TILS). Grounded in a bilingual and visually oriented perspective that rejects deficit-based views of deafness, the study examines how conceptions of language, visuality, inclusion, and science teaching emerge in the discourse and practice of these professionals. The research unfolded in three stages: (1) analysis of questionnaires answered by Physics teachers and TILS; (2) organization of a focus group with these professionals; and (3) articulation of the findings with theoretical frameworks from Deaf Studies, visual literacy, Universal Design for Learning, Assistive Technology, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Nature of Science, and Bachelard’s critique of scientific images. The results reveal a field marked by tensions and contradictions. Among Physics teachers, discursive formations range from adaptive inclusion—focused on late-stage flexibilizations, intuitive simplifications, and preservation of the regular curriculum—to the emergence of more dialogical practices that integrate planned visual resources, connections to students’ everyday experiences, and recognition of Libras as a legitimate language of instruction. Among TILS, the analyses highlight a refined sensitivity to the needs of deaf students and to the limits of current pedagogical approaches, revealing a persistent lack of collaborative planning, insufficient training in the sciences, and frequent reliance on improvised images often treated as self-explanatory evidence. The focus group amplified these tensions, pointing to opportunities for curricular restructuring and the development of genuine collaboration with TILS through prior dialogue, negotiation of signs, and the creation of learning environments that support deaf students’ participation. At the same time, it brought to light the precarious conditions of bilingual work: assessment practices identical to those used with hearing students, lack of adaptation, absence of adequately designed visual materials, insufficient preparation of content, scarcity of resources, and lack of continuing education. A recurring theme was the displacement of responsibility: inclusion does not fail due to “lack of will”, but because Physics curricula remain unchanged and place on the interpreter the task of “translating” concepts that actually require conceptual reconstruction. Drawing on Bachelard’s philosophy, the findings suggest that the challenge is not merely to “use images”, but to confront the illusion of transparency associated with visual representations. Teaching Physics to deaf students requires visual representations that are purposefully designed and built through pedagogical collaboration, rather than improvisations that reinforce epistemological barriers. This thesis argues that effective bilingual approaches in Physics education demand institutional policies that guarantee collaborative planning, adequate working conditions, specialized training, and co-authorship between teachers and TILS.