The Approach of Socioscientific Issues in Science Classes of Elementary School

Abstract

Socioscientific Issues consist of controversies rife with social, economic, political, environmental interests that require conscious decision-making and action, which are on the edge of ethics and social justice (Ratcliffe & Grace, 2003). However, it is fundamental to know under what conditions Socioscientific Issues are handled in the context of Science teaching in Elementary School. So, the current research questions: how is the inclusion of Socioscientific Issues by science teachers in their classes involving chemistry? Thus, this research was developed in a qualitative nature, with exploratory bias (Gil, 1999). It‘s joined the data collection, analysis of the five semi-structured interviews with science teachers who teach the ninth year of Elementary School. The analysis of the data was made through Content Analysis (Bardin, 2011). Clippings were identified in the reports of the teachers who had characteristics close to the Socioscientific Issues, that are located in five categories: Impacts of Environmental Pollution in Contemporary Society; Energy Sources as Advance and Exclusion of Minorities; Certainties and Uncertainties of Food Production; Nuclear Research – Sources of Possibilities and Negligence; and Ethical Issues at stake. The clippings dealt with themes that made possible the approach of Socioscientific Issues. However, no clipping presented all the possible suggestions for discussion on the issues that involved the covered topic. The teachers’ reports showed that their approach was made according to the idiosyncrasies of the teacher and the reality of the students, demonstrating there are indicative of autonomy.