REPRESENTAÇÕES MULTIMODAIS NO ENSINO DE QUÍMICA: CONCEPÇÕES, DESAFIOS E TRANSFORMAÇÕES

MULTIMODAL REPRESENTATIONS IN CHEMISTRY TEACHING: CONCEPTIONS, CHALLENGES AND TRANSFORMATIONS. The study analyzes the initial conceptions and transformations in the use of multimodal representations by future Chemistry teachers after a formative intervention. The study took place in a workshop with nine Master’s students in Physics and Chemistry Teaching at a Portuguese public university. Data collection included a pre-intervention questionnaire and a postintervention activity in which participants suggested multimodal representations. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. The questionnaire results showed that, despite recognizing the potential of multimodal representations, participants had conceptual and practical gaps in using them. The thematic analysis identified two central dimensions: personal and conceptual. In the personal dimension, the highlights were the lack of teaching experience, the lack of experience with multimodality, and the view of its use as digital technology. In the conceptual dimension, confusion between multirepresentations and multimodality was observed. In the post-intervention activity, participants demonstrated a change in how they understood and used multimodal representations, incorporating concrete, symbolic, and gestural modes. The results highlight the need for deeper teacher training in multimodals. As the intervention was specific, courses should provide future teachers with opportunities to experience multimodal use in real teaching contexts, ensuring better preparation for their practical application in chemistry education.