The influence of conceptions of scientific literacy in developing citizenship

Abstract

The characteristics of contemporary society demand a growing concern with scientific education in order to prepare critical active and responsible citizens. In this paper, we intend to discuss some of the results of a study on education in Geosciences, diagnosing the importance given by high school students (16-17 years old) to scientific literacy. A mixed methodological approach was chosen, guided by socio-critical paradigm. The results of the study performed show that knowledge of students' conceptions about the importance of scientific literacy can, thus, support a school's performance and society to contribute favourably to the development and enhancement of citizenship