“Science through the tangent”: Possibilities of science teaching and socioscientific issues as for the teaching trajectory

Abstract

This article seeks to identify the presence of Socioscientific Issues (SSI) during the teaching trajectory of a professor of natural sciences. Through a qualitative narrative research, we highlight the historical character of teacher education and science teaching and its challenges, reflecting on the practice in initial and continuing education and on the place of the teacher and scientist within the context of schools, students and science classes. The research resulted in the perception of the inadequacy of initial teacher education considering the social commitment of education and science and, also, in the identification of the lack of approaches on SSI in the initial education of the teacher. Thereby, on a critical perception of the educator’s social function, aligned with STS teaching, and, through the development of research, we concluded that this proved to be a process of rethinking the practice itself for the participants, of analyzing the initial and continuing education and we point out the SSI as a potential to promote debates for the development of a transformative education, which aims at the autonomy and criticality of students.