Percepções sobre ciência e pseudociência entre docentes do ensino básico

Abstract

In the era of digital media, people are increasingly coming into contact with information re-garding topics related to science. However, there are many cases of this information not being consistent with the actual scientific knowledge, not having clear reliable sources or distorting what is already established in science. The lay population in science, which does not have the habit of researching reliable sources, is prone to the dissemination of pseudoscientific ideas and may have a negative analysis of what science and scientists are. In the literature, ways to improve society's perception of science are suggested, the main one being encouraging quality science education in schools. The science teacher, therefore, has a central role in the dissemi-nation of science to young people. However, it is necessary to understand how the teacher observes science and pseudoscience in society and at school, the possible interference of pseudosciences in the scientific literacy of young people and the importance of the school in scientific dissemination. In order to understand these points, a questionnaire based on the qua-litative research method in public perception of science was applied to elementary school tea-chers. It was noted, at the end of the research, that teachers understand their role as dissemina-tors of scientific knowledge, valuing in their classes the construction of critical individuals through understanding what science is and the method behind it. In addition, there is a percep-tion of the difficulties they face in conducting scientific education and that improvements are needed in the school environment and in the society-school relationship so that there is the promotion of scientific culture and the fight against pseudosciences.