Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Challenging the “Science from nowhere” perspective in the classroom

Action research about a historical case of Brazilian science

  • Article
  • Published:
Science & Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Studies in the field of science education have discussed using historical approaches. Although previous studies have shown the potential advantages to addressing national sciences in the classroom in countries underrepresented in the history of science, there are still few initiatives in this direction. Thus, this paper aims to explore a historical case study related to teaching Brazilian national science in a high school classroom to contribute to this line of research and evaluate how classroom dialogue and production relate to specific aspects of the historical case. The present study uses an adapted action research methodology with historical research conducted in an integrated manner with the case study in the classroom. The results showed that this adapted methodology could relate content to students’ contexts by leading them to engage and identify with the historical case and the activity itself. Critical comments on this methodology are also presented. Using Brazilian science as the historical case study revealed some themes partially related to the Brazilian context. However, science content was more relevant to the students’ context. Finally, some directions for future research are proposed, both for studies using the methodology presented and research on using the history of national sciences in countries underrepresented in the hegemonic history of science.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Source: Adapted from Moura and Guerra (2016b, p.68)

Fig. 2

Source: Developed by the authors

Fig. 3

Source: CNPq (2021)

Fig. 4

Source: CNPq - Centro de Memória (2021)

Fig. 5

Source: CNPq - Centro de Memória (2021)

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. “Global North” and “Global South” are used in line with Santos and Meneses (2010), who state that the Global South is metaphorically conceived as a set of social actors that historically suffered from the damage caused by capitalism and its colonial relationships around the world. Although the Global South partly overlaps the geographic south, while it represents classes and social groups in the geographic north that have been subjected to capitalist and colonial domination, it does not include local elites from the geographic South (Santos and Meneses 2010). This relationship of domination also applies to profoundly unequal power relations such as “male–female” and “white-black”.

  2. This name remained the same until 1974, when it was changed to “National Council for Scientific and Technological Development” (CNPq).

  3. The word “articulator,” in the original language in which this research was carried out, means a person who articulates, who establishes contacts, agreements, etc. The word appears in the literature to talk about the actors who established connections between different social actors, as was the case with Álvaro Alberto.

  4. Dilma Rousseff became the nation’s first female president in that year.

  5. As discussed earlier in the article, the remuneration of scientists in Brazil is typically issued through grants, since there is no “scientist/researcher career” in the country, except occasionally in some agencies. To do science in Brazil, the interested party must either engage in post-graduate and post-doctoral programs (which provides no legislation on working hours, breaks, and other rights in general) or be hired as a university professor, which is the only academic career in universities other than technical or administrative positions.

References

  • AERA. (2011). Code of ethics. Educational Researcher, 40(3), 45–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allchin, D. (2011). Evaluating knowledge of the nature of (whole) science. Science Education, 95(3), 518–542. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allchin, D., Andersen, H., & Nielsen, K. (2014). Complementary approaches to teaching nature of science: Integrating student inquiry, historical cases, and contemporary cases in classroom practice. Science Education, 98(3), 461–486. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrade, A. M. R. (1999). Físicos, mésons e política: A dinâmica da ciência na sociedade. Hucitec, Museu de Astronomia e Ciências Afins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrade, A. M. R. (2006). A opção nuclear: 50 anos rumo à autonomia. MAST.

    Google Scholar 

  • Avraamidou, L. (2019). “I am a young immigrant woman doing physics and on top of that I am Muslim”: Identities, intersections, and negotiations. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 57(3), 311–341. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Avraamidou, L., & Schwartz, R. (2021). Who aspires to be a scientist/who is allowed in science? Science identity as a lens to exploring the political dimension of the nature of science. Cultural Studies of Science Education, Online First, 16, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-021-10059-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barreto, W. D. M. (2010). Eletrobrás: o embate por trás de sua criação (Master’s thesis). Centro de Pesquisa e Documentação de História Contemporânea do Brasil – CPDOC, Rio de Janeiro.

  • Barton, A. C. (1998). Reframing “science for all” through the politics of poverty. Educational Policy, 12(5), 525–541. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904898012005004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brickhouse, N. W., Lowery, P., & Schultz, K. (2000). What kind of a girl does science? The construction of school science identities. Journal of Research in Science Teaching: The Official Journal of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, 37(5), 441–458. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-2736(200005)37:5%3c441::AID-TEA4%3e3.0.CO;2-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, P. (2010). Cultural history as polyphonic history. Arbor, 186(743), 479–486. https://doi.org/10.3989/arbor.2010.743n1212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cain, T. (2011). Teachers’ classroom-based action research. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 34(1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2011.552307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlone, H. B., Johnson, A., & Scott, C. M. (2015). Agency amidst formidable structures: How girls perform gender in science class. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 52(4), 474–488. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavicchi, E. M. (2008). Historical experiments in students’ hands: Unfragmenting science through action and history. Science & Education, 17(7), 717–749. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-006-9005-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain, T. C. (1965). The Method of Multiple Working Hypotheses: With this method the dangers of parental affection for a favorite theory can be circumvented. Science, 148(3671), 754–759. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.148.3671.754

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, H. (2011). How historical experiments can improve scientific knowledge and science education: The cases of boiling water and electrochemistry. Science & Education, 20(3), 317–341. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-010-9301-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, H. (2021). Presentist history for pluralist science. Journal for General Philosophy of Science, 52, 97–114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10838-020-09512-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CNPq (1952). Exposição de Motivos enviada ao senhor presidente da República, general Eurico Gaspar Dutra, pela Comissão Incumbida de Elaborar o Anteprojeto de Estruturação do Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas. In: CNPq, Relatório de Atividades do Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas em 1951, apresentado ao Ex.mo. Sr. Presidente da República Dr. Getúlio Dornelles Vargas. Rio de Janeiro: Imprensa Nacional.

  • CNPq (1957). Relatório de Atividades do Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas em 1956, apresentado ao Exmo Sr. Presidente da República. Rio de janeiro: Ind. Gráficas Taveira.

  • CNPq - Centro de Memória (2021). História do CNPq. Centro de Memória - CNPq. http://centrodememoria.cnpq.br/Missao2.html. Accessed 18 May 2021.

  • Costa, H. H. C., & Lopes, A. C. (2018). A contextualização do conhecimento no ensino médio: Tentativas de controle do outro. Educação & Sociedade, 39(143), 301–320. https://doi.org/10.1590/ES0101-73302018184558

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erduran, S., & Dagher, Z. R. (2014). Reconceptualizing nature of science for science education. Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Forato, T. C., Martins, R., & Pietrocola, M. (2012). History and nature of science in high school: Building up parameters to guide educational materials and strategies. Science & Education, 21(5), 657–682. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-011-9419-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forato, T. C., Pietrocola, M., & Martins, R. A. (2011). Historiografia e natureza da ciência na sala de aula. Caderno Brasileiro De Ensino De Física, 28(1), 27–59. https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7941.2011v28n1p27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galili, I., & Zinn, B. (2007). Physics and art – A cultural symbiosis in physics education. Science & Education, 16(3), 441–460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-006-9006-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gandolfi, H. E. (2018). Different people in different places. Science & Education, 27(3), 259–297. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-018-9971-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gandolfi, H. E. (2019). In defence of non-epistemic aspects of nature of science: Insights from an intercultural approach to history of science. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 14(3), 557–567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-018-9879-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gavroglu, K. (2007). Uma categoria historiográfica útil – a prática científica. In: Gavroglu, K. O passado das ciências como história. Porto Editora.

  • Geertz, C. (1989). A Interpretação das culturas. Guanabara Koogan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guerra, A., Braga, M., & Reis, J. C. (2013). History, philosophy, and science in a social perspective: A pedagogical project. Science & Education, 22(6), 1485–1503. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-012-9501-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gurgel, I. (2020). Reflexões Político-Curriculares sobre a Importância da História das Ciências no Contexto da Crise da Modernidade. Caderno Brasileiro De Ensino De Física, 37(2), 333–350. https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7941.2020v37n2p333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gurgel, I., Pietrocola, M., & Watanabe, G. (2016). The role of cultural identity as a learning factor in physics: A discussion through the role of science in Brazil. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 11(2), 349–370. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-014-9580-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, S. (1992). The question of cultural identity. In S. Hall, D. Held, & T. McGeew (Eds.), Modernity and its future, Polity/Open University Press

  • Harding, S. (2015). Objectivity and diversity: Another logic of scientific research. University of Chicago Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Heering, P., & Höttecke, D. (2014). Historical-investigative approaches in science teaching. In International handbook of research in history, philosophy and science teaching (pp. 1473–1502). Springer, Dordrecht.

  • Hodson, D. (2010). Science education as a call to action. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 10(3), 197–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/14926156.2010.504478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jasanoff, S. (2004). The idiom of co-production. In S. Jasanoff (Ed.), States of Knowledge: The Co-production of Science and Social Order (pp. 1–45). Routledge.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kemmis, S., McTaggart, R., & Nixon, R. (2014). The action research planner: Doing critical participatory action research. Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Laraia, R. B. (1986). Cultura: Um conceito antropológico. Editora Schwarcz - Companhia das Letras.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lather, P. (1986). Research as praxis. Harvard educational review, 56(3), 257–278. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.56.3.bj2h231877069482

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemke, J. L. (2001). Articulating communities: Sociocultural perspectives on science education. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(3), 296–316. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-2736(200103)38:3%3c296::AID-TEA1007%3e3.0.CO;2-R

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lightman, B. (2016). A Companion to the History of Science - Wiley Blackwell Companions to World History. John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Livingstone, D. N. (2003). Putting science in its place. The University of Chicago Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Longino, H. E. (1989). Can there be a feminist science? In N. Tuana (Ed.), Feminism & Science (pp. 45–57). Indiana University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martins, A. F. P. (2015). Natureza da Ciência no ensino de ciências: Uma proposta baseada em “temas” e “questões.” Caderno Brasileiro De Ensino De Física, 32(3), 703–737. https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7941.2015v32n3p703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, M. R. (2012). Changing the focus: From nature of science to features of science. In M. S. Khine (Ed.), Advances in nature of science research (pp. 3–26). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Milne, C. (2011). The Invention of Science: Why History of Science matters for the classroom. Sense Publishers.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Moura, C. B. (2019). Science Education, Cultural History of Science and Curriculum: Possible entanglements [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca.

  • Moura, C. B., & Guerra, A. (2016a). Cultural history of science: A possible path for discussing scientific practices in science teaching? Revista Brasileira De Pesquisa Em Educação Em Ciências, 16(3), 749–771.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moura, C. B., & Guerra, A. (2016b). Reflexões sobre o processo de construção da ciência na disciplina de química: Um estudo de caso a partir da história dos modelos atômicos. Revista Electrónica De Investigación En Educación En Ciencias, 11(2), 64–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moura, C. B., Camel, T., & Guerra, A. (2020a). Nature of Science through curriculum theory’ lenses: Curricular Normativity, Contextualization and the meanings of teaching about science. Ensaio Pesquisa Em Educação Em Ciências, 22, e15631. https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-21172020210114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moura, C. B., Guerra, A., Amaral, P., & Oliveira, F. (2017). Entre o histórico e o contemporâneo: abordando as práticas científicas em um curso sobre história e filosofia das ciências. Enseñanza de las ciencias, extra, 3517–3524.

  • Moura, C. B., Jager, I. T., & Guerra, A. (2020). Teaching about sciences in/for the global south: Lessons from a case study in a Brazilian classroom. In: Yacoubian, H. A. & Hansson, L. (Eds.) Nature of Science for Social Justice (pp. 137–155). Chamonix: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47260-3_8

  • Moura, C. B., Nascimento, M. M., & Lima, N. W. (2021). Epistemic and political confrontations around the public policies to fight COVID-19 pandemic. Science & Education, 30(3), 501–525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-021-00193-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nyhart, L. K. (2016). Historiography of the History of Science. A Companion to the History of Science (pp. 7–22). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118620762.ch1

  • Oliveira, F. F., Moura C. B., & Guerra, A. (2020, November 9–13th). National science and Physics Teaching: An analysis of publications in the last ten years. In: Proceedings of XVIII Encontro de Pesquisa em Ensino de Física, 2020. Santa Catarina (virtual), SC, Brazil.

  • Oreskes, N. (2019). Why trust science? Princeton UniversityPress.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pimentel, J. (2007). La revolución científica. In M. Artola, M. Almagro, J. A. P. Martínez (Aut.), Historia de Europa (pp. 163–238), 2.

  • Pimentel, J. (2010). ¿Qué es la historia cultural de la ciencia? Arbor, 186(743), 417–424. https://doi.org/10.3989/arbor.2010.743n1206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porto, P. A. (2010). História e Filosofia da Ciência no Ensino de Química: em busca dos objetivos educacionais da atualidade. In: W. L. P. Santos; O. Maldaner (Eds.) Ensino de Química em Foco (p. 159–180). Ijuí: Editora Unijuí.

  • Raj, K. (2013). Beyond postcolonialism… and postpositivism: Circulation and the global history of science. Isis, 104(2), 337–347. https://doi.org/10.1086/670951

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, L. (2009). Situating science in global history: Local exchanges and networks of circulation. Itinerario, 33(1), 9–30. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0165115300002680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santos, B. S. & Meneses, M. P. (Eds.) Epistemologias do sul (p. 23–71). São Paulo: Cortez.

  • Schiebinger, L. (2001). O Feminismo Mudou a Ciência? Bauru: EDUSC.

  • Sjöström, J., & Eilks, I., et al. (2018). Reconsidering different visions of scientific literacy and science education based on the concept of Bildung. In Y. J. Dori (Ed.), Cognition, Metacognition, and Culture in STEM Education (pp. 65–88). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Thiollent, M. (1986) Metodologia da pesquisa-ação. São Paulo: Cortez Autores Associados.

  • Tolbert, S., & Bazzul, J. (2017). Toward the sociopolitical in science education. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 12(2), 321–330. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-016-9737-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tripp, D. (2005). Action research: A methodological introduction. Educação e Pesquisa, 31(3), 443–466. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-97022005000300009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Varelas, M., Menig, E., Wilson, A., & Kane, J. (2019). Intermingling of identities: A Black student in a middle-school science class. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 15, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-019-09966-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yacoubian, H. A., & Hansson, L. (2020). Nature of science for social justice. Springer Publishing.

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable contributions.

Funding

This study was financially supported by CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico), CAPES (Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior), and FAPERJ (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Program in Science, Technology and Education, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca, Av. Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 229, Brazil

    Douglas Cardinot, Cristiano Moura & Andreia Guerra

Authors
  1. Douglas Cardinot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cristiano Moura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Andreia Guerra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Douglas Cardinot.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Cardinot, D., Moura, C. & Guerra, A. Challenging the “Science from nowhere” perspective in the classroom. Sci & Educ 32, 327–359 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-021-00311-1

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-021-00311-1

Search

Navigation