A Investigações em Ensino de Ciências (IENCI) é uma revista internacional de publicação quadrimestral, indexada, voltada exclusivamente para a pesquisa na área de ensino/aprendizagem de ciências (Física, Química, Biologia ou Ciências Naturais, quando enfocadas de maneira integrada). Este periódico tem como objetivo principal a divulgação aberta de trabalhos relevantes e originais em pesquisa em ensino de Ciências para a comunidade internacional de pesquisadores, em especial, da América Latina e península Ibérica. ISSN: 1518-8795
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Coloniality and Decoloniality in Science Education and Environmental Education Research: possibilities for fighting for social, racial and educational equality
Coloniality – of power, knowledge and being – refers to a process that transcends colonization, persisting in former colonies even after political independence. According to the concept of the coloniality of powethis process is essentially sustained by the racial/ethnic classification of the world's population. In educational spaces, social relations are permeated by coloniality, where the colonizer’s worldview prevails. Processes of coloniality shape subjectivity and culture, leading to the marginalization of individuals who do not fit the model of the heterosexual white man. Bringing the concept of decoloniality—which opposes coloniality—into the fields of Science Education and Environmental Education involves addressing issues such as racial/ethnic prejudice and gender issues, which impact educational processes, social relations, and contribute to a less just and democratic society. The decolonial perspective implies a commitment to transforming the reality of subalternized peoples. Based on this theoretical framework, this study aimed to address the following question: in what ways can research in Science Education and Environmental Education on the concepts of coloniality and decoloniality contribute to building a more democratic and less unequal scientific education? To this end, we conducted a literature review in journals from these fields focusing on the themes of coloniality and decoloniality.
Copyright (c) 2025 Madge Bianchi dos Santos, Flavia Rezende, Fernanda Ostermann http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Este artigo apresenta uma proposta teórica para a Alfabetização Biológica, compreendida como a capacidade dos indivíduos de compreender os princípios e conceitos da Biologia de forma inter-relacionada aos aspectos sociais, históricos, filosóficos, culturais, econômicos e tecnológicos, possibilitando transformar a sociedade e solucionar problemas contemporâneos a partir do conhecimento biológico e de métodos científicos. O modelo, desenvolvido por meio de revisão da literatura e análise documental de diretrizes curriculares, organiza a Alfabetização Biológica em cinco níveis de desenvolvimento: Analfabetismo Biológico, Alfabetização Biológica Nominal, Funcional, Estrutural e Multidimensional, baseando-se nas formulações teóricas de Uno e Bybee (1994). Esses níveis são complementados por sete dimensões: Cognitiva, Natureza da Biologia (NdB), Afetiva, Interdisciplinar, Sustentabilidade, Bioética e Carreiras Relacionadas à Biologia, ampliando as dimensões propostas por Semilarski e Laius (2021). Além disso, propõem-se três domínios: Psicológico, Epistêmico e Social, que estruturam as dimensões e fortalecem a integração da Biologia com outras áreas. O modelo serve como ferramenta flexível e abrangente para a criação de currículos, o desenvolvimento de materiais didáticos e a avaliação da Alfabetização Biológica, promovendo uma formação cidadã crítica, ética e reflexiva.
This article presents a theoretical proposal for Biological Literacy, understood as the capacity of individuals to comprehend biological principles and concepts in relation to social, historical, philosophical, cultural, economic, and technological aspects, enabling them to transform society and address contemporary problems through biological knowledge and scientific methods. The model, developed through a literature review and documentary analysis of curricular guidelines, organizes Biological Literacy into five levels of development: Biological Illiteracy, Nominal Biological Literacy, Functional, Structural, and Multidimensional Biological Literacy, based on the theoretical framework of Uno and Bybee (1994). These levels are complemented by seven dimensions: Cognitive, Nature of Biology (NoB), Affective, Interdisciplinarity, Sustainability, Bioethics, and Biology-Related Careers Awareness, expanding the dimensions proposed by Semilarski and Laius (2021). In addition, the model proposes three domains: Psychological, Epistemic, and Social, that structure the dimensions, thus strengthening the integration of Biology with other fields. This model serves as a flexible and comprehensive tool for curriculum development, teaching material design, and the assessment of Biological Literacy, promoting critical, ethical, and reflective citizenship education.
Copyright (c) 2025 José Adriano Cavalcante Angelo, Adjane da Costa Tourinho e Silva, Marcelo Tadeu Motokane http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Promoting Scientific Literacy through a teaching unit on Man's Journey to the Moon
This paper presents the results of a qualitative case study that investigated the contributions of a didactic unit (DU) entitled “The Man’s Journey to the Moon” to the promotion of Scientific Literacy (SL) among high school students. The DU was implemented in a private school in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, involving 16 first-year high school students in the elective Astronomy course, part of the Science and Technology learning pathway. The theoretical framework was based on the structural axes of SL proposed by Sasseron and Carvalho (2011). Data were collected through participant observation, open-ended questionnaires, and students’ written productions, and analyzed using Discursive Textual Analysis. The results indicate evidence of SL development, particularly in the expansion of scientific vocabulary and the integration of content from different curricular components. The unit also fostered critical reflection on the political, social, and environmental implications of scientific activity. Regarding the Nature of Science (NoS), students showed heterogeneous understandings, ranging from advanced perspectives (such as recognizing scientific cooperation) to simplistic views (such as Eurocentric and empiricist approaches). It is concluded that contextualized and interdisciplinary teaching proposals, such as the one analyzed, are relevant strategies for fostering critical scientific education aimed at citizenship formation. However, aspects related to NoS and the STS (Science-Technology-Society) approach should be addressed explicitly in the classroom.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ariel Gonçalves Marcelino, Luciano D. de Oliveira http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Influence of the beliefs of teachers participating in professional development programs on preschool natural science teaching
This study analyzes preschool educators' beliefs and practices regarding science teaching within the framework of a Professional Development Program (pDPD) in Chile. Its objective is to understand the relationship between these beliefs and classroom practices, as well as the challenges in applying innovative strategies. The methodology adopted was a sequential explanatory mixed design, beginning with a quantitative analysis using the Pedagogical and Scientific Beliefs Inventory (INPECIP), followed by a qualitative analysis based on classroom observations and video recordings. A sample of 61 teachers from Viña del Mar and Valparaíso was selected, with nine observed in their classrooms during the pDPD implementation. The results show a hybrid trend in teachers' beliefs, combining traditional and constructivist approaches. However, in practice, directive and transmissive strategies prevail, limiting students' active participation and autonomous knowledge exploration. A recipe-based conception of science and the transmission of hegemonic knowledge were identified, restricting the development of inquiry and critical thinking in early childhood. The main conclusions indicate that the relationship between teachers' beliefs and practices is complex, influenced by structural and curricular factors. The study highlights the need to design pDPD programs that promote a more critical and participatory vision of science teaching in preschool education, fostering student-centered methodologies that engage with their environment.
Copyright (c) 2025 Cristian Merino Rubilar, Waldo Quiroz Venegas, Jaime Solís-Pinilla http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The training path for implementing Multistrategic Didactic Units and the sources of desirable professional knowledge in pre-service chemistry teachers
This study investigates how a formative process of implementing Multistrategic Didactic Units (MDUs) influences the development of desirable professional knowledge sources in pre-service chemistry teachers. Applying the principles of categorical content analysis, three versions of unity plans, designed according to the MDU model, by a pair of pre-service teachers were analyzed, as well as collective mentoring meetings with the teacher educator, all grounded in the framework of desirable professional knowledge. The MDUs were developed at different stages: before meetings with the teacher educator (first version); after mentoring meetings with the teacher educator and before the didactic-pedagogical intervention (second version); and after the didactic-pedagogical intervention and a mentoring meeting with the teacher educator (third version). The analytical process suggested that the formative process demonstrated potential for fostering the mobilization, integration, and transformation of desirable professional knowledge sources. The process was initiated at an individual level, as the pre-service teachers attempted to coherently articulate the elements of the MDU plan with one another and with the teaching methodology adopted as a reference to guide the entire process. It was enhanced at the collective level of discussion, including the teacher educator. The didactic transformation of knowledge sources appeared to be further facilitated, with the absolutist conception of science identified as the main obstacle to the process of epistemological transformation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Paola Gimenez Mateus Alves, Amadeu Moura Bego , Silvia Regina Quijadas Aro Zuliani http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Overview of Publications on Critical Thinking in Chemistry Education from 2004 to 2024: A Systematic Literature Review
Critical thinking is essential for preparing citizens capable of facing the challenges of the 21st century. In this context, science and chemistry education play a central role in fostering the development of critical and reflective students who can make informed decisions and solve complex problems. With this in mind, this study aimed to analyze academic publications on critical thinking in chemistry education, identifying national and international trends and exploring existing gaps. The research was conducted through a systematic review based on the PRISMA methodology, covering publications from 2004 to 2024. The PICOS eligibility criteria were adopted for inclusion and exclusion, resulting in a sample of 96 publications, including 78 international and 18 national (Brazilian) articles. A significant increase in academic output was observed, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, with Indonesia, the United States, and Brazil standing out as the countries that most contributed to the topic. The study highlights the growing recognition of critical thinking in chemistry education and its relevance for the formation of citizens and professionals prepared for a dynamic world. However, important gaps remain, especially in teacher education, underscoring the urgent need for pedagogical strategies that effectively promote the development of this competency.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mariana da Silva Ribeiro, Keila Bossolani Kiill http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Analysis of the Dialogues with ChatGPT by Pre-service Teachers during the Design of Chemistry Didactic Activities
This study analyzes changes in the structure and content of dialogues between pre-service primary teachers and ChatGPT during the design of chemistry teaching activities. A total of 223 prompts from 28 conversations (14 PRE and 14 POS) carried out by third-year students were examined, revealing a progressive enrichment in scientific and pedagogical content, as well as increased sophistication in the interactions. These included more complex questions, appropriate use of technical terminology, and consideration of students’ prior conceptions. Qualitative transformations in the conversational dynamics were also identified, characterized by greater complexity, pedagogical intentionality, and the emergence of expansive prompts, absent in the initial phase and prominent in the final one. Prompts were categorized according to their thematic content (scientific, pedagogical, contextual, and practical) and communicative function within the dialogue (addition, expansion, modulation, or refutation), allowing for a comparative analysis between phases. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. Findings suggest that structured activities designed to support pedagogical uses of ChatGPT can enhance pre-service teachers’ competencies related to pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and foster a critical and reflective approach to the use of generative artificial intelligence technologies in science education.
Copyright (c) 2025 Víctor López-Simó, Mikael Frank Rezende Junior http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Argumentative teaching actions in Chemistry classes in Mozambican higher education
The objective of this article is to categorize and explain the argumentative teaching actions in Chemistry classes and has the following question: what argumentative teaching actions can be evidenced in the Chemistry classroom and how can they be interpreted? Five teachers working in a public higher education institution in Mozambique participated in the research. Data were collected from direct observation of classes through video and audio recordings and field notes, which were later transcribed and analyzed according to the procedures recommended by Discursive Textual Analysis. In this way, we observed seven argumentative teaching actions, ordered based on the frequency of their appearance: Present, Question, Identify, Value, Judge, Request, and Encourage. However, when the actions are distributed across the four plans considered macroactions, there is a more significant number of actions that encourage argumentation on the pragmatic level (with a total of 84 references), followed by those that retrieve information on the epistemic level (with 50 occurrences) and then actions to expand and support the argument on the argumentative level (with 45 actions expressed) and finally actions aimed at the critical evaluation of information debated on the critical-reflective level (with 26 observations). The results allow us to state that there are argumentative teaching actions in classes without using strategies that encourage argumentation and in the context of implicit argumentation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Belém Júrcia Violeta Macie , Sérgio de Mello Arruda, Marinez Meneghello Passos http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Brazilian adaptation of the Global Scientific Literacy Questionnaire (GSLQ): a possibility for assessing scientific literacy for the 21st century.
Scientific literacy is both a right and an instrument of transformation of people, which can help us understand how science, technology, and society interconnect. One challenge in this area is its assessment, requiring reliable, adapted instruments with a robust theoretical basis. Many of the questionnaires created for this purpose were designed decades ago and may not adequately address emerging 21st-century issues such as sustainability, global technological advances, and climate change. The Global Scientific Literacy Questionnaire (GSLQ) emerges as a contemporary, multidimensional instrument for assessing aspects of scientific literacy. Given its potential and the lack of a validated version in Portuguese, this article describes its cross-cultural adaptation and verification of evidence of validity for Brazil. The process followed psychometric criteria, including translation, synthesis, evaluation by experts and target audience, pilot testing, and analysis of the internal structure. For validation, the Content Validity Coefficient and Exploratory Factor Analysis were used. As a result, a Portuguese version of the GSLQ was obtained, suitable for application in Basic Education and Higher Education.
Copyright (c) 2025 Patrick Alves Vizzotto http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Not every “hat” is good, not every wolf is bad: Discursive Textual Analysis beyond an empirical information analysis methodology
Discursive Textual Analysis (DTA), with its origins linked to the field of Chemical Education, has increasingly anchored the theoretical/methodological design of research, not limited to its founding field. Beyond its establishment as a methodology for analyzing empirical information in qualitative research, it has emerged as a space and time for defending the relevance of incorporating principles of Phenomenology and Hermeneutics—its theoretical pillars—into the development of our research initiatives and the scope of our classrooms. Given this conjecture, this text aims to understand the context of developing a curricular component focused on DTA, linked to a graduate program that based its activities on its principles and the critical analysis of its theoretical and practical nuances. To this end, the final texts, written by the graduate students, were analyzed using the assumptions of DTA. The analysis reveals the relevance of considering DTA as a phenomenon to be investigated and understood, as well as the potential for integrating the fundamentals of phenomenology and hermeneutics into educational settings and pedagogical practices. Meanwhile, the perception of DTA as a powerful proposal for classroom actions with this intention emerges, diversifying its applications and not limiting it to simply being categorized as a methodology for analyzing empirical information.
Copyright (c) 2025 Vivian dos Santos Calixto http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Scientific Culture in Initial Teacher Education: What Constitutes It and How Is It Built?
This research offers a theoretical approach to scientific culture, from the understanding of the cognitive frameworks that potentially shape it within the context of initial science teacher education. This case study took place within teacher education programs at universities in central-southern Chile. Data collection involved 35 semi-structured interviews: 24 with pre-service teachers and 11 with academic instructors. The analysis was conducted using Constructivist Grounded Theory and Critical Discourse Analysis in its epistemological version. Subsequently, the findings were contrasted with the content of the National Standards for Science Teacher Education in the country. The findings show that the narratives are structured around three semantic spaces, where three main positions regarding science and its teaching converge, leading to three discourses: (i) the theoretical discourse; (ii) the political-activist discourse; and (iii) the practical discourse aimed at improving teaching. Each of these discourses appears to reproduce and validate cognitive frameworks of a similar nature, which interact with a contextual model defined by the curricular norms. It is concluded that, within the studied context, discourses are grounded in epistemological and ideological/political positions about science and its teaching. These discourses reproduce and validate cognitive frameworks that form a teacher scientific culture of a vertical/deficit nature, paradoxical, and rooted in power relations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Francisco Javier Perez Rodríguez, Sebastián Donoso Díaz http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Endosymbiosis versus natural selection: un falso dilema en la educación
Selecting scientific models to teach is a difficult task. In the case of evolutionary biology there is a complicated panorama due to the numerous models developed after the synthetic theory of evolution. In this context, it is common for endosymbiosis to be presented as a revolutionary modification contrary to Darwinism. From this point of view, Darwinism would imply a view of nature centred mainly on competition. Endosymbiosis would show, in contrast, the importance of cooperation. In this paper we will question this image, which is common among teachers, and we will show how, in fact, the correct characterisation of endosymbiosis presupposes the Darwinian view of nature, both theories being complementary. Finally, we will draw the didactic consequences of our approach.
Copyright (c) 2025 Leonardo González Galli, Santiago Ginnobili http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Practice is different in theory: a theoretical study on practices in science education
Scientific literacy, as a formative perspective for social participation, aligns with teaching practices that approximate scientific practices to educate individuals for their roles and participation in society based on knowledge of scientific reasoning and critical evaluation processes. This theoretical study explores how different conceptions of scientific practices can influence teaching practices. To this end, we present the diversity of conceptions about scientific practices and their manifestations in school contexts, based on a brief historical contextualization of science education in Brazil. This allowed us to characterize three main ways of conceiving practices in science classes: practice as a manipulative activity for executing procedures (PEP), practice as an action for solving problems (PRP), and practice for evaluating and understanding situations and contexts (PAC). Among these ways of conceiving practices, PAC aligns most closely with science education as a social practice and, therefore, with current perspectives of scientific literacy, as it allows students to recognize the modes of production of understandings in classroom and the ways to evaluate the adequacy of these modes based on the relevance of methods in relation to problems under investigation and established knowledge. Finally, we present the contributions of this study to both teaching and research in Science Education.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lucia Helena Sasseron, Fernando César Silva, Katia Dias Ferreira Ribeiro, Rena de Paula Orofino http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Structural Racism and Pedagogical Practices: Challenges and realities in an indigenous educational context
The article problematizes the prevalence of structural racism expressed in decontextualized pedagogical practices that do not consider the existence of indigenous educational knowledge for the development of the learning situation from an approach of social, cultural and territorial relevance, even when these pedagogical practices are implemented in indigenous school contexts. The methodology is qualitative, using participant observation in Basic Education in the subjects of Natural Sciences, History, Geography and Social Sciences, and Mathematics Education. The observation was focused on contextualization processes and pedagogical practices for the diversification of teaching and learning processes, which was recorded as field notes. The information collected was analyzed through the content analysis technique. The main results show pedagogical practices decontextualized to the Mapuche territory in which the school is located, a process in which teaching and learning is developed from a systemic racism, in which the teachers' lack of knowledge about the Mapuche knowledge and skills that can be incorporated into education prevails. Likewise, the hierarchy of knowledge in the classroom is observed, in which the epistemic value of indigenous knowledge is invalidated and denied. This reality allows us to sustain that prejudiced educational practices prevail in the Chilean school system, which maintain structural racism as a product of colonization still present. We conclude that it is urgent to rethink the teaching and learning processes implemented in educational contexts with social and cultural diversity, to offer an intercultural education.
Viviana Villarroel Cárdenas Viviana Villarroel Cárdenas
Copyright (c) 2025 Viviana Marcela Villarroel Villarroel Cárdenas, Katerin Arias-Ortega http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Paulo Freire and Basil Bernstein: The Role of Problematization via Theme Generation and Educational Codes in Natural Science Lessons
This study aims to analyze how dialogical problematization via Generative Theme, proposed by Paulo Freire, enables students to recontextualize restricted codes into elaborate codes, mediated by the visible and invisible pedagogies of Basil Bernstein's theory, favoring the overcoming of the reproduction of social inequalities. Initially, the article establishes a theoretical reflection that connects the Freirean concept of “Generating Theme” to the structure of Bernstein's Pedagogical Discourse Device, proposing an example of a Freirean Pedagogical Discourse Device. Secondly, we present an empirical excerpt from a Natural Sciences lesson in a Brazilian elementary school that implemented this Freirean device. The students' argumentative interactions were analyzed using Discursive Textual Analysis (DTA), focusing on the emerging category: “problematization based on social contextualization via the Generating Theme and identification of restricted codes”. The results indicate that the problematizing and dialogical approach enhances the recognition of the restricted codes and invisible pedagogy present in the students' experiences, highlighting the role of the field of primary and cultural contextualization (family/community) as a recontextualizing element of the curriculum. The conclusion is that current curricula often neglect social issues specific to school communities, reinforcing the urgency of more contextualized, critical, and socially committed pedagogical practices.
Copyright (c) 2025 Geraldo Wellington Rocha Fernandes, Juliana Alves Torres Gomes, António Rodrigues http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Robotics in Educational and Teaching Contexts: An Overview of Theses and Dissertations Published in Graduate Programs in Brazil
This study presents and describes an overview of theses and dissertations published between 2013 and 2022 on robotics in educational contexts within Graduate Programs in Brazil. Using text mining techniques, 362 academic works were analyzed, extracted from the CAPES Open Data platform. The results indicate a significant growth in research over the years, with a particular emphasis on Graduate Programs in Teaching. The most recurring keywords include "Mathematics Education", "Computational Thinking", and "Meaningful Learning", highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of educational robotics. Additionally, the analysis of abstracts revealed three major thematic clusters: programming education, active methodologies, and teacher training. The findings reinforce the relevance of robotics as a pedagogical tool and point to future challenges for its implementation, such as the need for teacher training and adequate infrastructure.
Copyright (c) 2025 MSc. Marcos Paulo da Silva Santana, Dr. Rodrigo Lins Rodrigues, Dra. Monica Lopes Folena Araújo http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Principles for the teaching of structural representations of organic compounds
The literature indicates that, in the field of organic chemistry, one of the specificities for its comprehension lies in the appropriation of a set of signs termed structural representations of compounds. Its teaching must be conceptualized beyond mere forms—that is, in relation to content. Thus, by mobilizing the foundations of Historical-Cultural Psychology and Critical-Historical Pedagogy, along with studies on the history of the development of structural representations of organic compounds, it becomes possible to formulate theoretical didactic principles. These principles are presented in this work to guide teachers in their pedagogical practice, emphasizing that learning structural representations involves: a) establishing a dialectical unity between the macroscopic and submicroscopic levels of chemical phenomena; b) highlighting human needs underlying the development of these representations; c) fostering conscious awareness of transitions between different representations. These principles should not be taken as recipes, but as guidelines for concrete organic chemistry teaching.
Copyright (c) 2025 Caio de Souza Silva, Helio da Silva Messeder Neto http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Design-Based Research (DBR) in the development of Gamification as a strategy for teaching chemistry
This article aims to analyze the contributions of Design-Based Research (DBR) to the implementation of gamification in Chemistry Teaching. To this end, this work had as participants the regent teacher and 25 students from a 1st year high school class at a public school in the state of Maranhão. We consider DBR as a theoretical-methodological assumption and the Theory of Mediated Action (TAM) as a reference for the construction of a gamified didactic sequence. The methodology followed the four phases of DBR proposed by Reeves (2000): 1) analysis of the educational problem; 2) development of the pedagogical artifact; 3) intervention and evaluation; 4) reflection to produce design principles. The data collection instruments used were the teacher's lesson plans, interviews, questionnaires, participant observation and field diary records. The results demonstrate that the use of TAM theoretical support proved to be a possible reference for the articulation of gamified activities, as it offered support for students to interact with sociocultural tools. We showed that, in each phase, didactic knowledge was generated that helped to manage demands and difficulties, providing elements for the construction of design and redesign during the development of the intervention.
Copyright (c) 2025 Paula Maria de Almeida Santos, Hawbertt Rocha Costa http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Complexification of “Scientific Proof” in a Science Teacher Trainee Program
We discuss the complexification of the object "scientific proof" in the development of activities in a master's research in Land Education (Natural Sciences and Mathematics). To deal with this, we point out some contradictions present in the perspective of teaching in and about sciences, especially in their relations with the consensual view of the Nature of Science and how these relations, by not dealing with the contradictory nature with which consensus is built, end up reinforcing and propagating a consensualist tendency. This consensualist tendency can manifest itself in several ways, one of them being through the reduction of the discussion about "scientific proof" to the "problem of demarcation", which configures a reductionism only to the purely epistemic dimension of this problem. For the development of complexification of "scientific proof", relying on the Activity Theory, we used five texts articulated in the intervention activities in the context of teacher training in land schools, allowed us to analyze how the dynamics of these activities with the students promoted this complexification, as well as discussing the importance of this in overcoming the consensualist tendency and in the development of Science Education as a tool for the development of concrete possibilities of human emancipation.
Copyright (c) 2025 João Otavio Garcia, Juliano Camillo http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Place of Morality in Research on Socioscientific Issues in Science Education: A Systematic Literature Review
This article aims to investigate how ethical and moral aspects have been addressed in research on socioscientific issues (SSI), given the importance of this dimension in the characterization of such issues. A systematic literature review was adopted, in the from of an integrative review (IR), with a temporal scope from 2015 to 2024. The scientific productions, both national and international, were located in qualified journals (Qualis A1 and A2 of CAPES), as well as in sources such as the ERIC database and Google Scholar. The corpus of analysis consisted of 16 articles, which were subjected to content analysis. The main results indicate that 12 of the articles investigate the ethical and moral aspects of students and future teachers, with an emphasis on the latter. Only one study focused on didactic proposals, and another on teachers’ conceptions about teaching ethics. Despite the relevance of the ethical and moral dimension, the studies are still in an early stage, suggesting that morality does not occupy a central place in research on SSI. It is concluded that, although research on the ethical and moral aspects of SSI is still limited, it proves to be a crucial tool for studying this dimension, essential for decision-making. Furthermore, SSI offers an opportunity for science educators to integrate scientific education with moral formation and education for socially, politically, and ethically responsible citizenship.
Copyright (c) 2025 Yasmin Lima de Jesus, Washington Luiz Pacheco de Carvalho, Lizete Maria Orquiza de Carvalho http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Overview of Scientific Literacy in Brazilian Non-formal Education Settings from Impact Scientific Publications
Non-Formal Education Setting (NFES) have the potential to promote Scientific Literacy (SL) among their visitors, fostering a critical understanding of social, cultural, political, and environmental issues. Recognizing the formative potential of these environments, this study aimed to systematize, analyze, and infer insights from research addressing SL processes in NFES in Brazil, based on publications indexed in the Journal Portal of the Brazilian Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes). This is a bibliographic review with a quali-quantitative approach, employing lexicometric analysis techniques (classification, hierarchization, frequency relations, and semantic correlations) within content analysis, supported by the Alceste software. The results revealed four content-similar classes and highlighted a relevant theoretical-methodological tool for assessing the SL potential of these spaces. Despite an increase in publications over the past decade, the topic remains underexplored, particularly regarding the integration of NFES with Basic Education. This underscores the need to strengthen connections between teacher education (both initial and continuing) and these environments, as well as to promote didactic strategies that facilitate their inclusion in the school context.
Copyright (c) 2025 Marcello Ferreira, Roseli Constantino Schwerz, Michel Corci Batista, Olavo Leopoldino da Silva Filho http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Scientific literacy in times of misinformation: a systematic literature review
Mitigating the harmful effects of disinformation in today's society requires diverse efforts, in different areas and a coordinated manner. Addressing this problem in science education by focusing on students' Scientific Literacy (SC) is a promising possibility for tackling it. Therefore, we aimed to identify manifestations of SC in the fields of education and scientific communication with the potential for social mobilization in the face of the context of misinformation with this Systematic Literature Review. We identified the importance of including in educational actions the promotion of understanding of psychological and sociological aspects that regulate our interaction with information, such as views of motivated communication and reasoning; we discussed the demand for a renewed SC, which intersects its dimensions with other literacies, such as media literacy and information literacy, in addition to redefining its emphasis on stimulating critical thinking based on epistemic trust; we have recorded successful experiences in the development of critical thinking and epistemic vigilance based on strategies based on reading, writing, and verification of information, with a predominance of active methodologies used by educators. We believe that our findings contribute to combating misinformation, providing the basis for pedagogical actions potentially capable of weakening this global phenomenon.
Copyright (c) 2025 Francisco Robson Carvalho de Oliveira, Cidoval Morais de Sousa http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Why are so many articles rejected? A reflection based on the journal Investigations in Science Education
The editorial examines the reasons why many articles are rejected by the journal Investigações em Ensino de Ciências (IENCI), emphasizing the need for well-defined criteria for manuscript acceptance. It highlights the significant growth of the Science Education field in both quantity and quality, making the article review process increasingly complex. The text critiques extreme views on objectivity and subjectivity in scientific evaluation and underscores the importance of judgment based on a shared practical sense. It outlines key elements of a research article, including problem formulation, research question, literature review, theoretical framework, methodology, analysis, and discussion of results. Additionally, it distinguishes research articles from experience reports, which do not fall within the journal’s scope. The editorial aims to guide authors and improve the editorial workflow, ultimately contributing to the quality of scientific production in the field.
Copyright (c) 2025 Paulo Lima Junior, Marta Maximo-Pereira, Tobias Espinosa http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Design of Teaching and Learning Sequences and Complex Educational Games: A Strategic Proposal for Mobilizing the Model of Educational Reconstruction
The Model of Educational Reconstruction (MER) has been employed in research within the field of Science Education to support educational design, particularly through development research. Based on its theoretical and methodological premises, we aim to address the following question: How can the theoretical and methodological aspects of the MER be mobilized for the design of Teaching and Learning Sequences (TLS) and Complex Educational Games (CEG)? To this end, we propose a Mobilize Strategy that recursively articulates three elements: the characteristics of teaching and learning environments; the design trajectory; and the pedagogical potentialities framework. This represents an ongoing effort to operationalize the design process based on the MER, offering promising pathways for its application across different types of interventions. We argue that the MER can be adjusted according to the specificities of the educational intervention. In the case of CEG, for instance, a phase dedicated to preliminary ludic research is required. However, we maintain that, regardless of the type of intervention, the first phase of educational design grounded in the MER culminates in the identification of pedagogical potentialities. The next steps toward advancing what has been proposed here involve deepening the understanding of how the MER can support the validation processes of educational interventions.
Copyright (c) 2025 Michelle Garcia da Silva, Roberta Smania-Marques, Helaine Sivini Ferreira http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Reflections on the Anthropocene in the long-term exhibition at the Museum of Tomorrow
The Science, Technology, Society and Environment (STSE) movement arises from the social need to reflect on the impacts of science on today's world and becomes important for scientific literacy by allowing citizens to relate science to their daily lives and be able to act for social transformation. This paper aims to analyze the “Anthropocene” module of the long-term exhibition of the Museum of Tomorrow through attributes proposed for the CTSA movement's focus, raising dialogues and reflections within the exhibition. It is possible to observe, even if not simultaneously, the presence of the three attributes at different moments of the exhibition: social debates external to science, social debates internal to science, as well as historical and philosophical debates, with greater emphasis on the first and third attributes.
Tiffany Guimarães Muller de Souza Soderi
Copyright (c) 2025 Tiffany Guimarães Muller de Souza Soderi, Adriana Pugliese http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
From Planning to Classroom: Opportunities for Integrating Scientific Knowledge Domains and Engaging in Epistemic Practices in Inquiry-Based Science Teaching
This research investigates the integration of conceptual, epistemic, material, and social domains of scientific knowledge and epistemic practices within Inquiry-based Science Teaching. It contrasts the opportunities envisioned during didactic planning with how they are realized in the classroom. To achieve this, we developed an analytical tool grounded in existing literature to identify elements of the knowledge domains in both didactic plans and classroom discourse interactions that provide opportunities for epistemic practices. The use of the tool allowed us to highlight situations in which epistemic practices emerge through the integration of the four domains and the shared construction of understandings about the object of knowledge or about the procedures and criteria for producing, communicating, evaluating, and legitimizing knowledge. The study revealed that, in the context of teaching planning, teacher guidelines played a crucial role in promoting integration—particularly of the social domain with others—and in fostering opportunities for epistemic practices. In the classroom context, the results indicated that the teacher's actions and the interactions between students favored the occurrence of epistemic practices not foreseen in the initial planning. In the classroom context, the research showed that both teacher actions and student interactions facilitated the emergence of epistemic practices not explicitly anticipated in didactic planning.
Copyright (c) 2025 Caique Oliveira de Souza, Maíra Batistoni e Silva http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Explicit and reflective teaching for the development of Critical Thinking skills and Nature of Science and Technology understandings in Primary Education
This study seeks to contribute to the development of critical thinking (CT) skills and nature of science (NOS) concepts in primary education – more specifically, argument analysis (CT) and certain aspects of the external sociology of science, such as scientific decision making and the compromise between the positive and negative effects of science and technology (NOS). The study involved the participation of 72 students from 5 different schools. It was a mixed-design study, using tools such as questionnaires, observation charts and interview scripts. The results showed significant improvement in argument analysis questionnaire scores and in NOS concepts after the explicit and reflective work done in a teaching-learning sequence. These results were confirmed by classroom observation, the analysis of workbooks and student interviews within a month of the intervention. This enabled us to conclude that the intervention had a positive impact on the development of the skills and concepts under study, even in the face of variation as a result of differences in teaching-learning sequence implementation by different teachers in different contexts. The reflective teaching approach can be identified as one of the keys to intervention success.
Copyright (c) 2025 Vanessa Ortega-Quevedo, Cristina Gil-Puente, Cristina Vallés Rapp, Carmela García-Marigómez http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The process of including a blind student in a Physics degree course: an analysis of the actions and contributions of the educational environments
Part of the results of an investigation into the process of inclusion of a blind student in a Physics degree course at a Federal University in south-eastern Brazil are presented and discussed. The aim of this investigation was to identify and understand the elements that contributed to this process, in particular: the paths taken by the student and the educational environment, defined as his colleagues, monitors, teachers and coordinators of the course and the accessibility center, in relation to his beliefs, attitudes, teaching resources, methodologies and teaching strategies; the relationship between ordinary teaching and the specific support offered to the student, and its implications for his inclusion process in the course. Cultural-historical theories and the social model of disability were used to interpret this process. The following were interviewed individually: a student with acquired blindness who had graduated in Physics; five of his lecturers, one of whom was the coordinator of the course and one of the coordinators of the accessibility center; two of his colleagues, one of whom was his monitor. The analysis of the data gathered through these interviews was guided by Textual Discourse Analysis. Some official documents from the university and the course were used as a source for describing and interpreting the situation under investigation. The results show some of the elements that express an active position of the educational environment in the educational process of the blind student, which did not necessarily culminate in successful social compensation, namely: attitudes and strategies focused on promoting access rather than autonomy and independence of the blind student in writing and reading mathematical language; adjustments in assessment instruments and strategies, which varied according to the specificity of the subject and whether the instrument used involved individual or group work; replacement of the Brazilian sign language subject by an exam of proficiency of the blind student in reading and writing in Braille.
Copyright (c) 2025 Marcela Ribeiro da Silva, Eder Pires de Camargo http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Historical and inquiry approaches to teaching the Nature of Science: a systematic review
This paper presents the results of a Systematic Literature Review on the impact of pedagogical approaches that incorporate inquiry practices and historical cases for teaching the Nature of Science in the context of Basic Education. The selection process of the 632 papers identified in the Portal de Periódicos da CAPES resulted in a sample of 334 articles published between 2014 and 2024 in journals rated Qualis A or B in the fields of Teaching or Education. From this group, only 20 presented empirical results of pedagogical proposals and comprised the final analysis corpus, which was subjected to Thematic Analysis. As result, four themes related to the contributions of historical cases were identified, along with three others concerning the use of inquiry practices in teaching the Nature of Science. These approaches were found to be particularly effective in: challenging empiricist-inductivist views; presenting science as a social practice, constituted by a community of scientists; and contextualizing the human and historical nature of scientific endeavor. The study emphasizes the need for research focused on the teaching-learning process of the Nature of Science, especially in Elementary Education and the subject of Biology, as well as the integrative potential of historical and inquiry approaches.
Copyright (c) 2025 Oscar Vitor dos Santos Borba, Ronan Moura Franco, Carla Beatriz Spohr http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Awareness in Álvaro Vieira Pinto: Contributions for the Science Education
That theoretical article discusses the relevance of awareness in Álvaro Vieira Pinto to the field of science education, in dialogue with the conception of the Humanizing Scientific Literacy. Anchored in the Vieira Pinto’ s work, we analyze the underdevelopment as a nation limit-situation to be overcome by the decolonization. It is the de-alienation of the awareness by establishment of the national-developmentalism ideology. As an education a powerful way to dissemination an ideology, we argue about how the science education can contribute to de-alienation of the awareness through interdisciplinary work inquiring sociocentric issues that are limit-situation in Brazilian reality, developing the Scientific Literacy in parallel to Politic Literacy.
Copyright (c) 2025 Leandro da Silva Barcellos, Geide Rosa Coelho http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0