The belief in early treatment for COVID-19: reflections on the nature of science in society in initial teacher education

• Grant number: 22/05219-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Education - Specific topics in Education
• Principal Investigator: Cibelle Celestino Silva
• Grantee: Marcos Vinícius Ribeiro Ferreira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the debate about the alleged effectiveness of chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, and ivermectin emerged in the public sphere, making up the so-called Kit-covid. This kit was widely used in public and private health services and defended by eminent public authorities despite contradicting what was accepted by the national and international scientific community. In this project, we will develop a study of primary and secondary sources on this episode to extract aspects of the nature of science in society that can be used in a mini-course to be offered to science graduates aiming to promote critical media literacy. As a reference for teacher training, we will use the critical pedagogy. As a research and development methodology, we will rely on "reflection cycles" considering the continuous partnership between teacher/researcher and undergraduates.