Alfabetização científica e tecnológica: uma matriz paradigmática para avaliação de abordagens na educação cientifica brasileira

Abstract

This thesis is part of the ongoing reflections on the objectives of Science Education (SE), addressing the formation of Scientific and Technological Literacy (STL) in both epistemological and pedagogical terms, as well as its implications for the exercise of citizenship. This is particularly relevant in the current sociopolitical context of humanity, marked by increasing complexity and tensions related to climate, humanitarian, environmental, and health crises, all of which are exacerbated by a concerning atmosphere of denialism and conspiracy theories. Our hypothesis is that STL, within the Brazilian context, encompasses multiple teaching concepts and practices, consistent with the polysemous nature of the term. In light of this, the aim of this research is to analyze how Science Education Research conceives STL and how these conceptions, in turn, influence and are influenced by the field. To achieve this, we sought to: (I) identify key elements of STL proposals and conceptions in the literature; (II) develop a theoretical framework to characterize STL; and (III) validate this framework using the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) database. The framework, serving as both a theoretical and methodological tool, acts as the methodological reference (Sánchez Gamboa, 2012) for the paradigmatic analysis of scientific production. The validation of the framework’s content was carried out through referentialization (Figari, 1996), organizing a reference structure for its evaluation. Additionally, the paradigmatic levels (methodological, theoretical, epistemological, and ontological) of the framework, which enable us to establish three types of STL approaches, were validated through a bibliographic survey in the BDTD. The validation process unfolded as the proposed framework effectively assisted in differentiating, recognizing, and systematizing various STL approaches categorized as Types I, II, and III, within the context of Science Education. The results highlight the potential applications of the construct, while also revealing certain limitations. Notably, the proposed framework allowed us to identify trends, congruencies, as well as disparities and gaps, thereby facilitating a comprehensive analysis of the investigated field. This process particularly illuminated the factors that may contribute to the marginalization of technology in the discourse and the externalization of an imbalance between pedagogical and epistemological theories. Moreover, it revealed the repercussions of these discrepancies, especially when considering their direct implications.