STS Education for Citizenship Formation in Physics High School through the theme Mining

Abstract

The main objective of this research, of a qualitative nature and of the Intervention Research type, carried out in a state public high school in the interior of the State of São Paulo, was to analyze the contributions of STS Education to the citizenship formation of 20 students through the contextualized approach of themes related to the social and environmental impacts produced by Mining, aiming to promote students’ awareness and critical thinking. As a theoretical contribution, STS Education was used, and the data were obtained through interviews conducted by the students with residents and employees of mining companies. Activities were developed that elucidated the environmental impacts produced by Mining, emphasizing environmental, political, economic and social issues related to the neighborhood and the city in which the school is located. The results indicate that the theoretical-methodological path followed allowed to improve the scientific education offered, providing greater awareness of the students and a stimulus for the exercise of citizenship in the Piraporinha neighborhood, where the research was conducted. At the same time, the protagonism of students and the expansion of their autonomy of action and thought were valued, stimulating decision-making and more intense social participation, representing important objectives of STS Education.