Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in educational research in science museums in Brazil

The last forty years have seen significant growth in the area of research in science education in Brazil. Faced with the volume of academic output, studies that present a descriptive character are necessary. However, "states of knowledge surveys" are still rarely found in the field of science education. In this context, the objective of the research presented in this article was to identify and describe the main characteristics and tendencies of Brazilian research on education in science museums, considering dissertations and thesis that address the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in non-formal education spaces, as research problems. A mixed methods approach of qualitative and quantitative research was used, and a documentary analysis was carried out. Thirteen studies that focused on ICT in science museums were mapped, drawn from 11 dissertations and 2 theses that were produced in Brazil over a period of 25 years from 1991-2015. This is a theme that is not well explored nationally. In the paper we seek to contribute to the discussion with a view to listing possibilities for the development of new practices and investigations.