Teaching Nanoscience and CTS Education: a look at teaching practice

Abstract

Advances in the area of ​​Nanoscience and Nanotechnology have been impacting society, making access and understanding of knowledge in this area essential for the population. For this purpose, schools need to be open to this topic, with inclusion in curriculum programs, teaching resources and classes. Therefore, teachers need to establish in their practices the scientific and technological values ​​of these areas together with debates on the social and environmental implications. In this context, this exploratory study aimed to present knowledge about the practice of basic education teachers in teaching nanoscience and nanotechnology. The qualitative research consisted of observation, recording, transcription and analysis of classes taught by two basic education teachers. The analysis based on ZABALA 1998 and the CTSA perspective considered the actions, speeches and resources (materials and written texts/outlines) used by teachers during classes. The results indicate that the subjects covered had great potential for current discussions in their historical, ethical, political and socioeconomic aspects, despite the greater concern of teachers in teaching curricular content. The teachers demonstrated competence to integrate the theme with the CTSA approach, articulating the curricular content of Chemistry, Physics and Biology with current issues, such as Covid-19 vaccines and nanostructured materials and used traditional teaching resources - blackboards, videos on experimental practices - to arouse student interest and participation. There were no significant differences in the feasibility and depth of activities between primary and secondary education. We conclude that there is a possibility for teaching nanoscience and nanotechnology to go beyond the mere presentation of the subject’s syllabus and contextualize other aspects of human nature with CTSA guidelines. In this context, CTSA education is an ally in structuring the teaching of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology by providing an understanding of scientific knowledge with social values.