Nature of science in society and mimecry of science: promoting scientific media literacy in Latin American pre service teachers

• Grant number: 24/05875-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: July 18, 2024
• End date: December 19, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Education - Specific topics in Education
• Principal Investigator: Cibelle Celestino Silva
• Grantee: Cibelle Celestino Silva
• Host Investigator: Angel Yefrin Ariza Bareño
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile

Abstract

This project aims to discuss aspects of the nature of science in society based on an analysis of contemporary episodes involving scientific themes present on social media and generating false controversies among the public; among them, the belief in the effectiveness of early treatments for COVID-19; use of arguments that mimicries science such as justifying the "law of attraction" and power of thought with string theory; climate denial; flat earthers and other topics that will be raised. We will work on the pre-training of science teachers in Brazil and Chile, developing teaching-learning sequences that explicitly encourage reflection on relevant aspects of the nature of science in society and discerning science mimicry strategies used by propagators of false information.