October 16, 2026
Neuroscience and Mental Health Themes in Science Teacher’s Manuals for the Sixth Grade of PNLD 2024-2027
The Themes of Neurosciences and Mental Health in Science Teacher’s Manuals for the Sixth Grade of Pnld 2024-2027
Paula da Costa de Gouveia Teixeira; Kelly Beatriz Danelon Anselmo
DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202603337
Article derived from a Course Conclusion Work (TCC), with content based on the student’s original work and adapted to the editorial format of the E&S Magazine with the support of the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by Instituto Pecege for textual synthesis and organization.
Summary
Mental health represents a growing concern in the educational context, given the influence of stress and psychological distress on learning and socio-emotional development. This study investigated how 6th-grade Science Teacher Manuals for Elementary School, approved by the National Program for Books and Educational Materials (PNLD) 2024-2027, addressed knowledge related to neuroscience and mental health in teaching the nervous system. A qualitative documentary research was conducted, based on Bardin’s Content Analysis, using two Teacher Manuals as the corpus. The analyses were carried out based on categories related to neuroscientific and socio-emotional dimensions. The results showed a high centrality of executive functions, scientific thinking, and neurobiological understanding. Socio-emotional aspects, such as self-care, emotional well-being, and respect, were identified, particularly in the approaches to psychotropic substances. However, a gap was found regarding specific pedagogical guidelines for discussing psychological distress, such as chronic anxiety and depression. It was concluded that the analyzed manuals favored the articulation between cognitive and socio-emotional dimensions but presented opportunities for expanding the support offered to teachers in addressing contemporary mental health demands in the school context.
Keywords: Content analysis; Science teaching; Neuroscience; PNLD; School mental health.
1. Introduction
The mental health of children and adolescents is a growing concern in the educational context, considering the impacts of stress and psychological suffering on learning and socio-emotional development. Chronic stress situations can be associated with concentration difficulties, demotivation, and anxious and depressive symptoms, with possible repercussions on learning (Maia, 2022; Bailey et al., 2025).
In the Brazilian context, the relevance of this issue in the school environment is reinforced by socio-emotional mapping data. The Ayrton Senna Institute (IAS) (2022), in partnership with the São Paulo State Secretariat of Education (SEDUC-SP), identified that among the students evaluated, symptoms related to depression and anxiety, difficulties in concentration, and lower stress tolerance were reported in certain school groups, including those in elementary school II. Factors such as socioeconomic vulnerability, domestic violence, bullying, excessive demands, sleep disturbances, and excessive use of social media also contribute to the psychological distress in this population (Maia, 2022; Mesquita and Reimão, 2010; Avanci et al., 2021; Bailey et al., 2025; Lipp et al., 2020; Pinto et al., 2017).
The understanding of the relationship between mental health and learning can be deepened by neuroscience, which in this study is understood in a broad sense, referring to the cognitive and neurobiological processes involved in learning. Evidence indicates that chronic stress interferes with the functioning of brain structures linked to memory, emotional evaluation, and executive functions (Roozendaal et al., 2009). In contrast, welcoming pedagogical environments and strategies that promote participation and reflection can favor cognitive and socioemotional processes essential for schooling (Herculano-Houzel, 2002; Amaral and Guerra, 2020; Bacich and Moran, 2018).
This articulation between neurosciences, mental health, and education is particularly relevant in the context of the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC). Although neurosciences are not a specific field in the document, General Competencies eight and nine of the BNCC cover aspects related to physical and emotional health care, recognition of emotions, empathy, dialogue, and respect (Brazil, 2018). In the teaching of Science in the sixth year, the Life and Evolution axis includes skills related to the organization of biological systems, the action of the nervous system in sensorimotor coordination, and the effects of psychoactive substances on its functioning.
In this scenario, textbooks and, in particular, Teacher’s Manuals (MP) are crucial documents, as they present scientific content and pedagogical guidelines that influence teacher mediation. The National Program for Books and Educational Materials (PNLD) establishes rigorous criteria for the evaluation and dissemination of these works, including adequacy to the BNCC, conceptual rigor, and methodological proposals that stimulate research, problem-solving, and contextualization (Brasil, 2023).
Despite the importance of mental health and its integration with neuroscience, a gap is observed in the pedagogical guidelines of the Science Teacher’s Manuals for the sixth year of elementary school regarding the discussion of psychological distress, such as chronic anxiety and depression. This absence is significant, considering the limitations of schools and teacher training in addressing such demands (Souza and Silva, 2017; Pinto et al., 2017). Although the BNCC addresses self-care, emotional health, empathy, and respect in its general competencies, it does not present specific skills in the Life and Evolution axis for the sixth year that guide the approach to these forms of psychological distress. Thus, the need to strengthen the support offered to teachers to address contemporary mental health demands in the school environment justifies the investigation into how teaching materials articulate these themes. Given the above, this study aimed to investigate if and how Science Teacher’s Manuals for the sixth year, approved by PNLD 2024–2027, address knowledge that relates cognitive dimensions of neuroscience and socio-emotional aspects in the teaching of the nervous system.
2. Material and Methods
This study was characterized as a documentary research of a qualitative nature, based on Content Analysis proposed by Bardin (2011). The documentary approach was selected for its relevance in investigating textbooks and teacher guidance materials, to examine curricular, epistemological, and pedagogical conceptions (Bittencourt, 2018; Cellard, 2008; Gil, 2008). The objective was to investigate how Teacher’s Manuals articulate knowledge that relates cognitive dimensions of neuroscience and socio-emotional aspects in the teaching of the nervous system.
For the composition of the analytical corpus, initially, four Science textbooks intended for the sixth year and approved in the National Program for Books and Educational Materials (PNLD) 2024–2027 were identified. The selection criteria were: approval in PNLD, designation for the sixth year, digital availability of the material, and presence of content referring to the nervous system. The choice of Teacher’s Manuals (MP) was justified by their pedagogical guidance function.
The corpus effectively analyzed was constituted by two Teacher’s Manuals, selected due to the availability of full digital access. They were: MP1, “#Sou + Ciências: Ciências – 6º ano do Ensino Fundamental”, by Artuso et al. (2022), and MP2, “Jornadas: Novos Caminhos – Ciências – 6º ano do Ensino Fundamental”, by Nardi (2022). These materials constituted the object of investigation.
The data analysis followed the three stages proposed by Bardin (2011): pre-analysis, material exploration, and treatment of results, inference, and interpretation. In the pre-analysis, a floating reading of the materials was performed to familiarize with their organization and identify relevant sections. In the exploration, three units of context were established: “Thematic Awareness” (ST), mobilization of prior knowledge; “Content Development” (DC), explanations, activities, and didactic guidance; and “Review of What Was Learned” (RQA), synthesis and systematization of knowledge.
The registration units were defined at a thematic level and organized into two main analytical categories. Category A, “Neuroscience”, comprised executive functions, scientific thinking, metacognition, contextualization, meaningful learning, attention, engagement, neurobiological understanding, body-brain integration, and self-regulation. Category B, “Mental Health”, brought together emotional well-being, emotions, welcoming, self-care, stigma, and respect.
In this study, the term “neurosciences” was used in a broad sense, encompassing cognitive and neurobiological processes of learning, according to neuroeducation. The construction of the analytical categories was based on the articulation between neuroeducation literature and the cognitive and socio-emotional competencies of the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) (Brazil, 2018; Damásio, 2012; Dehaene, 2022; Herculano-Houzel, 2005; Lent, 2010; Amaral and Guerra, 2020; Cosenza and Guerra, 2011).
Excerpts from the manuals that explicitly or implicitly presented cognitive skills of the nervous system or guidance on emotional well-being, emotions, acceptance, self-care, stigma, respect, and school coexistence were included in the analysis. The theme mentioned directly was defined as explicit, and the indirect thematic inference as implicit. Exclusively technical content, administrative or procedural information, and repetitions of meaning were excluded.
In the treatment of results, the registration units were associated with their respective context units and subcategories. To interpret the centrality of subcategories in pedagogical discourse, an index from one (high centrality) to four (very low centrality) was adopted. The data were organized into matrices created in MS Excel® 2016 software and visualized by conditional formatting, inspired by heatmaps, to identify patterns of proximity between subcategories and the pedagogical objectives of the BNCC (Brazil, 2018). In MP1, guidelines and texts on the nervous system and drug effects were examined; in MP2, tracks on the nervous system, its structures, and psychotropic substances were analyzed.
The comparison between the two manuals was conducted qualitatively, avoiding quantitative inferences arising from unequal corpora. Regarding ethical considerations, as it is a documentary research based on publicly available materials and without direct human participation, the study was exempted from submission to the Research Ethics Committee, according to CNS Resolution nº 510/2016. The full material of the analysis was made available digitally, aiming for transparency and replicability.
3. Results and Discussion
The analysis of the 6th-grade Science Teacher’s Manuals, approved by PNLD 2024–2027, revealed consistent patterns in the approach to cognitive and socio-emotional dimensions related to the teaching of the nervous system. A high centrality of neuroscientific aspects, such as executive functions, scientific thinking, and neurobiological understanding, was observed in both analyzed materials. The pedagogical proposals present in the manuals favored investigation, critical analysis, problem-solving, and the construction of scientific explanations, aligning with curricular expectations for the development of scientific reasoning in elementary education.
This centrality of cognitive dimensions was observed explicitly and recurrently in various context units of the manuals. Executive functions, for example, were consistently addressed in sections on awareness, content development, and learning resumption, indicating a concern to stimulate students’ planning, working memory, and inhibitory control. Scientific thinking and neurobiological understanding also showed a significant presence, suggesting that the materials seek to ground knowledge about the nervous system from an in-depth investigative and conceptual perspective.
The results obtained demonstrate a strong approximation with the competencies and skills foreseen by the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) for the area of Natural Sciences. Specifically, direct relationships were identified with skills EF06CI05, EF06CI06, and EF06CI07, which deal with cellular organization, the integration between biological systems, and the crucial role of the nervous system in coordinating motor and sensory actions. This curricular correspondence reinforces the relevance of the manuals as tools for the implementation of current educational guidelines in the country.
The organization of content in the analyzed manuals followed a well-defined conceptual progression, starting from fundamental structures and processes of the nervous system, such as nerve cells, nerve impulses, and synapses. This gradual approach allowed for the introduction of more complex concepts, including the integration of biological systems and the effects of psychotropic substances. Such a structure favors the connection of isolated knowledge into an integrated understanding of the nervous system’s functioning, an aspect that aligns with the principles of meaningful learning in neuroeducation, as pointed out by Amaral and Guerra (2020) and Cosenza and Guerra (2011).
A notable example of this pedagogical approach was observed in the Teacher’s Manual 2 (MP2), where the concepts of nervous impulses and reflex actions were integrated into an experimental proposal. This activity aimed to observe students’ response time to specific stimuli, bringing the conceptual explanation closer to a concrete experience. This pedagogical strategy is effective in mobilizing attention, stimulating investigation, promoting active student participation, and facilitating the construction of explanations, transforming the scientific foundation of a merely descriptive content into an engaging pedagogical action.
The EF06CI10 skill, which addresses the effects of psychoactive substances on the nervous system, stood out as a relevant topic in both manuals. This theme was developed in an articulated manner with prior knowledge about the functioning of the nervous system, allowing students to understand the biological and social implications of the use of these substances. The inclusion and deepening of this topic demonstrate the materials’ concern in addressing public health and well-being issues, connecting scientific knowledge to students’ reality.
The theme of psychotropic substances also proved to be a crucial point of convergence between cognitive and socio-emotional dimensions. In the context units dedicated to this subject, aspects such as decision-making, neurobiological understanding, emotions, self-care, and respect were identified, all interconnected. This multidisciplinary approach allowed the study of the effects of drugs to go beyond mere biological description, assuming significant formative and preventive potential by stimulating reflection on choices and their impacts on health and behavior.
In the Mental Health category, the concepts of self-care, emotional well-being, and respect showed a significant presence in the teaching materials. These elements are in line with General Competencies eight, nine, and ten of the BNCC, which emphasize self-care, understanding emotions, empathy, responsibility, and decision-making ability. The inclusion of these themes in the manuals indicates a recognition of the importance of developing socio-emotional skills in students, contributing to a comprehensive education.
However, despite the presence of socio-emotional elements, the analysis revealed a significant gap in addressing more complex mental health demands in the school environment. A distinction was identified between working with general aspects of self-care, emotions, and respect, and offering specific pedagogical guidance for teachers to deal with psychological distress, such as chronic anxiety and depression. This difference suggests that, although the manuals touch upon relevant themes, the depth and specificity of the guidance for situations of greater vulnerability are still limited.
The main critical finding of this study lies in the absence of structured pedagogical guidelines in the analyzed materials to directly address issues such as chronic anxiety and depression in the context of teaching the nervous system. This gap is particularly relevant, considering research that points to the limitations of schools and teacher training in dealing with students’ growing mental health demands (Souza and Silva, 2017; Pinto et al., 2017). The lack of specific pedagogical support can leave teachers unprepared to mediate sensitive discussions and offer the necessary support.
The analysis of the BNCC carried out in the study also provided a context for this gap. It was found that, in the set of 6th-grade skills directly related to the nervous system, there is no specific skill that directs the approach to forms of psychic suffering. Although the document contemplates self-care, emotional health, empathy, and respect in its general competencies, the specific skills of the Life and Evolution axis focus predominantly on the biological understanding of the organism and the effects of psychoactive substances, which explains the prioritization of the manuals.
This finding allows us to understand that the gap identified in the manuals does not disregard their curricular function, but, on the contrary, is a reflection of the strong correspondence of the materials with the skills established by the BNCC. This adherence, although positive in terms of curricular alignment, ends up highlighting what remains underdeveloped when seeking to relate the nervous system, learning, and psychic suffering in a more in-depth and specific way. The absence of clear guidelines in the BNCC for this age group on the topic may limit the inclusion of more detailed guidance in the teaching materials.
From the perspective of pedagogical practice, the results suggest that the chapter on the nervous system can be an opportune curricular space to broaden discussions on mental health in a pedagogically appropriate manner. This expansion does not imply assigning diagnostic or clinical functions to the teacher, but rather strengthening educational proposals that promote reflection on emotions, self-care, stigma reduction, and the recognition of the need to seek adequate support networks. Such approaches can empower students to develop greater resilience and identify signs of distress in themselves and their peers.
The main contribution of the results is not limited to identifying the presence or absence of content in the manuals, but to demonstrate how the articulation between neurosciences, Science teaching, and socio-emotional dimensions is manifested in the material intended for teacher mediation. The two manuals analyzed present a more consolidated integration when socio-emotional aspects are associated with content already explicitly provided for in the curriculum, such as the discussion on psychotropic substances. In contrast, issues directly related to psychological distress remain less pedagogically structured, indicating an area for future improvement.
In summary, the research revealed that the 6th-grade Science Teacher’s Manuals of the PNLD 2024–2027 promote an articulation between neuroscience and mental health, especially regarding cognitive functions and general socio-emotional aspects such as self-care and respect. However, a significant gap was evidenced in the provision of specific pedagogical guidelines to address more complex psychological distress, such as chronic anxiety and depression, despite the potential of the nervous system topic for this discussion. The findings therefore indicate the possibility of improving the materials to better meet contemporary mental health demands in the school environment.
4. Conclusion
This study investigated the approach to knowledge related to neurosciences and mental health in the teaching of the nervous system in 6th-grade Science Teacher’s Manuals, approved by PNLD 2024–2027. A high centrality of cognitive dimensions was observed, such as executive functions, scientific thinking, and neurobiological understanding, aligned with the skills of the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC). It was identified that the didactic materials promoted a conceptual progression, starting from basic structures to more complex themes, including the effects of psychotropic substances. In these contexts, an articulation between cognitive and socio-emotional aspects was observed, such as decision-making, self-care, emotional well-being, and respect, in line with the General Competencies of the BNCC. However, the analysis revealed a significant gap in the provision of specific pedagogical guidance for teachers to address psychological distress, such as chronic anxiety and depression, despite the potential of the nervous system topic for this discussion.
The main contribution of this work lies in demonstrating how the articulation between neuroscience, Science teaching, and socio-emotional dimensions is manifested in materials intended for teacher mediation, showing that the integration is more consolidated in content explicitly provided for in the curriculum, such as the discussion on psychotropic substances, while issues of psychological distress remain less pedagogically structured. The results suggest that the chapter on the nervous system constitutes an opportune curricular space to broaden discussions on mental health, strengthening educational proposals for reflection on emotions, self-care, stigma reduction, and recognition of support networks. As a limitation, it should be noted that the analyzed corpus was restricted to two Teacher’s Manuals, which prevents the generalization of findings to all works approved in the PNLD 2024–2027. It is suggested that future studies expand the corpus to other Teacher’s Manuals and Student Books, also investigating the appropriation of these guidelines in school practice.
Bibliographic References
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Instituto Ayrton Senna [IAS]. 2022.Mapeamento aponta que 70% dos estudantes de SP relatam sintomas de depressão e ansiedade. Disponível em: <https://institutoayrtonsenna.org.br/mapeamento-aponta-que-70-dos-estudantes-de-sp-relatam-sintomas-de-depressao-e-ansiedade/>. Acesso em: 04 de ago. 2025.
Maia, A.P.F. 2022. Sintomas Depressivos em Escolares na Cidade de São Paulo: um Estudo de Análise Fatorial. Tese de Doutorado em Neurociências. Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil.
Mesquita, G.; Reimão, R. 2010. Stress and sleep quality in hight school brasilian adolescents. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 8
Article originating from a Final Coursework on Neuroscience and Learning in Education
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