The use of the thalidomide case in the construction of meaning in higher education chemistry classes

Studies conducted in the field of education have, in many cases, highlighted the little insertion of teaching and learning theories in Natural Sciences classes, in Higher Education. We developed this study to analyze how Chemistry professors take ownership of a historical case to explain the concepts they develop in their classes. To do so, we analyzed this record of undergraduate classes, at times when professors related pedagogical link-making to the future field of work of the students, using the “Thalidomide case.” We realized that, by showing the importance of studies involving chirality and related concepts, the students’ attention to the content seems to have increased significantly, which expands the possibilities of construction of meaning. Thus, we argue that the pedagogical link-making can significantly contribute to students’ knowledge.