STSE relations in discussions of pre-service biology teachers on a Socio-Scientific Issue

Abstract

In the context of teacher training, there are usually many challenges facing STSE education. However, Socio-Scientific Issues Education (SSI) seeks to align with STSE education with a view to minimizing some of these difficulties and often contributing to the training of critical citizens. Thus, the present qualitative research sought to analyze the relationships STSE in discussions of undergraduates in Biology on a SSI regarding the pollination deficit by bees decline. For the data collection, we adopted an interview involving a case about the SSI and audio records of the discussions resulting from the interview. The students’ discourse analysis was based on the content analysis that indicated three categories with respect to complexity, according to the mobilization of the elements of the STSE relations: (i) low complexity; (ii) medium complexity; (iii) high complexity. The results indicate the need to discuss more frequently the STSE relations in initial teacher training in order to train teachers better prepared to take these activities to their future teaching activities, as well as to favor discussions about STSE and SSI education for a practice of these perspectives in the school.