Contextualization in Chemistry Teaching: connections established by a teacher when discussing a High School exam question in the classroom

Abstract: In this paper we analyse how a Chemistry teacher established inter-contextual relationships with students of the 3rd grade of High School while discussing a question from Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM) - the Brazilian High School Exam. Supported by the construct of inter-contextuality, we present and investigate teacher-student discursive interactions that occurred during a lesson. The teacher’s mobilization of different levels of contexts, taking into account students’ discourse, indicates ways on how to promote contextualization in the classroom from interaction. In addition, we discuss how contextualizing teaching took on different meanings in the teacher's practice, which expanded the potential of the instructional context initially proposed in the question under discussion. Finally, we indicate implications of contextualization in interaction to pedagogical practice, and the contributions of this study to the literature on science education.