Abstract

One of the challenges in Science Education is to train teachers that are creative when it comes to designing and executing learning situations in order to promote Scientific Literacy. Studies show that science teaching usually centers on the teacher and content, instead of aiming at the development of scientifically literate students. Using socioscientific issues (SSI) when teaching would help scientific literacy, since it commits to a scientific and community-minded education. The goal of the present study is to understand the views of a group of science teachers regarding the use of SSI, to determine what influences science teachers to incorporate SII in their teaching, to know how they plan and what their perceptions are regarding student’s learning. In order to get to know the views of teachers regarding the use of SSI a survey and an interview were applied. Preliminary foundings indicate that participant teachers value classroom use of SSI, since it allows the contextualizing Science Teaching, the generation of a civic position regarding a SSI, and the development of attitudinal learning in students, such as appreciation of their own learning.