Brecht’s Didactic Play and the Theatrical Text

A theatrical text was written that addresses the historical moment known as the Galileo affair. The written part of the play ’A Matuta e O Caso Galileu’ (Matuta and the Galileo Affair) incorporates and confronts theoretical conceptual frameworks on the life and work of the Florentine philosopher, such as those provided by Geymonat (1997), Reston Jr (1995), Koyré (2009), Drake (1981), Banfi (1949), Santillana (1960), Shea (1973), among others. Bertolt Brecht’s Didactic Play (1967; 1978) and the works of Koudela (1992; 2007; 2010) and Steinweg (1992) formed the theoretical basis for the theatrical activity. A questionnaire was administered to the students after they discussed the theatrical text, and their responses were categorised and analysed to verify the contribution of the activity to the construction of knowledge related to the topic in question, as well as changes in their views on the nature of scientific endeavour. Based on the analysis of the data, this pedagogical practice brought about changes, albeit partial, in the distorted views of the students/actors about the nature of science, as well as providing them with a more adequate understanding of epistemological issues.