Concepções (errôneas) de ciências de alunos de biologia

Abstract

The contemporary society is largely influenced by science, however erroneous precepts about scientific knowledge are widespread. On the one hand, there is an increase in the number of adherents of pseudosciences such as anti-vaccination movements and denial of science. On the other hand, dogmatic ideas about the universality, superiority and neutrality of scientific knowledge still find space in the teaching-learning process, earning the name “Naive Posi- tivism” for being a conception that is born of a mere common sense. Both conceptions indi- cate that there are fundamental and philosophical failures in the teaching of science aspects, which is worrisome in the scope of universities because they train science teachers and re- searchers. Thus, the epistemological path to the solution of such problems involves the devel- opment of two inseparable elements: Scientific Literacy and Critical Thinking. The applica- tion of these aspects depends on a previous diagnosis that allows us to propose adequate strategies to solve the problems found among students. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the conceptions of science of undergraduate students in Biological Sciences through different scales that measure the degree of belief in pseudosciences, naive positivism, critical thinking disposition, scientific practice motivation and strength of religious faith. By comparing begin- ners, intermediates and advanced level students, it was identified that there is no statistically significant difference between these categories, demonstrating that the course has no effect on misconceptions. Comparisons between Bachelor's and Licentiate's students show that there are no significant differences between these two modalities either, with the exception of naive positivism, where undergraduates showed a greater degree of belief. The results demonstrate that, in general, the degree of belief in the analyzed conceptions in this study is high among students of both modalities. Although there is confidence in science and critical thinking, this is not reflected to a lesser degree of belief in misconceptions, revealing that there is a need for more objective, expository and scientifically grounded approaches to the problems encountered.