ETSS and such: Education, Technology, Science and Society together, anyway?

Abstract

There are many discussions about socio-environmental problem, among them, discard of Tetra Pak packaging and ways to reuse it. In this sense, understanding that these questions emerge, also, in the educational context in educational-formative actions, we investigated: how does the problematization of socio-environmental issues can contribute to knowledge building in engineering and arouse modes of investigation experienced? We aim to investigate chances of space creation of teaching-learning at the university, based on the problematization of socio-environmental issues and CTS field knowledge. The investigation was based on the Freire and STS theoretical perspectives and analysed from the Discursive Textual Analysis. It congregated educational practices centred on the alternatives for reuse of Tetra Pak packaging, in cover formation as thermal insulation on the roof of the buildings, discussing its excessive use and its destination (ir)responsible. Thus, the investigation incorporated knowledge, values and educational practices relevant to formation in Agronomy and Environmental and Sanitary Engineer. The solution proposed passed through consideration to the intersection between multiple dimensions of knowledge; to the relation between curricular contents and socio-environmental issues; to the need of awareness about the responsibilities; to the need of awareness about the responsibilities to be shared and proposing pedagogical-educational strategies and actions at the University, with a view to Engineering professional’s humanistic training. Results evidenced that the reflection-action about teaching practices can arouse an alteration in approach to teaching and strategies employed to promote reflective thinking, which cannot prescind from the joint between research and social practice.