Scientific controversy as catalyser of socio-political engagement

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Ânderson Jésus da
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: Araújo, Wanna Santos de, Santos, Wildson L. P.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.34624/id.v8i1.12107

In this paper, we suggest a change to the traditional Science Teaching perspective, through the proposal of a curricular alternative based on an approach that privileges interdisciplinarity and the dialogical discussion of the STS education principles, by addressing Socio-scientific Issues presented as scientific controversies. The goal of STS education that we defend is the promotion of students’ scientific literacy, so that they have the arguments to actively participate in the democratic decision making process. We aim to analyse the students’ previous conceptions, moments of epistemological crisis and conceptual conformity, during debates on global warming and ozone depletion. For this, we developed a dialogical activity, and its results were analysed based on the adaptation of Content Analysis proposed by Bardin (2011). We perceived from data analysis, that it was possible to contribute to the deconstruction of students’ views on Science, as well as to make them question the non-scientific disclosure of a counter-hegemonic thesis concerning the issues in focus. We further comprehended that applying dialogical actions, using a socio-scientific issue in teaching practice, contributed to awake students’ indignation towards the hegemonic knowledge disclosed. Eventhough most of the students could not distance themselves from this perspective, they reflectedupon a different way of thinking and simultaneously express socio-political concerns, demonstratingcritical positioning.