The Importance of refining design principles when conducting educational design experiments on biodiversity in Latin America

This research aims to develop and refine a design process to approach the concept of biodiversity from an integral and polysemic perspective, contemplating real problems in the context of practice. The teaching and learning sequences proposed in this article originate from different design principles, structured considering pedagogical guidelines that emerged from the Model of Educational Reconstruction (MER). The design principles formulated sought to deal with the diversity of perceptions that students have about the concept of biodiversity in the North and Southeast regions of Brazil and to provide different possibilities of action for teachers. From the process of refining design principles, became evident that the sequence drawn about biopiracy was not aligned with the reality experienced by students in the North region. For this context, it was essential to consider that students do not develop knowledge about biodiversity only through the school curricula, especially those immersed in a sociocultural context rich in indigenous and local knowledge about biodiversity, and topics like as illegal exploration and impacts of mining would be much better. It is expected that this study can help fill research gaps related to the relevance, understanding, application, and effectiveness of design principles in the practice of local contexts and offer a sensitive glimpse at the multiple nuances that permeate the scientific approach to the concept of biodiversity in Latin America.