The Teaching of Botany in a Portuguese-Libras Bilingual Context Based on Historical-Cultural Theory

ABSTRACT: This article, grounded in Historical-Cultural Theory, investigates the conceptual appropriation of deaf students in a bilingual environment, with a focus on the teaching of Botany. To this end, a didactic sequence composed of four pedagogical interventions was developed and implemented in 2023. The research employed questionnaires, image-based activities, and video recordings as data collection instruments, which were analyzed through conversation analysis. The results indicate that visual pedagogical strategies enhance the learning and development of deaf students, as they function as mediating signs in the process of knowledge construction. Experimentation, by promoting social interaction and observation of natural phenomena, supports the appropriation of scientific concepts. However, the study also highlights linguistic barriers and the limited stimulation of language, which hinder the acquisition of spontaneous concepts and compromise the development of scientific knowledge