Biodiversity and Citizenship in an Argumentative Socioscientific Process

Anne Caroline de Freitas (), Larissa Aine do Nascimento, Rafael Gil de Castro, Marcelo Tadeu Motokane and Pedro Reis
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Anne Caroline de Freitas: University of São Paulo Interunit Graduate Program in Sciences Teaching, São Paulo 05508-220, Brazil
Larissa Aine do Nascimento: University of São Paulo Interunit Graduate Program in Sciences Teaching, São Paulo 05508-220, Brazil
Rafael Gil de Castro: Secretaria Municipal da Educação, Ribeirão Preto 14025-000, Brazil
Marcelo Tadeu Motokane: Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto 05508-080, Brazil
Pedro Reis: Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-013 Lisbon, Portugal

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: Socio-environmental issues become evident in countries with megadiversity. Brazil finds itself in this context, adding to the fact that it has severe socioeconomic inequalities, of which we highlight the lack of environmental justice. The present study has education for citizenship and biodiversity as its principles, considering that this interface empowers the students to emerge from socio-political perspectives to overcome environmental injustices. The objective is, therefore, to identify concepts of biodiversity and citizenship present in arguments developed by high school students in a socioscientific discussion. The research participants were nine students from a rural and public school in Brazil. We designed and implemented a Focus Group on the disappearance of bees and its consequences. The participants’ speeches were structured in arguments and analyzed from categories regarding the dimensions of citizenship and biodiversity. We identified the relationship among all categories in the arguments listed. However, we observed that these students are not full citizens since they identify several obstacles to active participation in social transformation actions. This study aims to contribute to research and science education strategies to promote active citizenship and critical perspectives on biodiversity.

Keywords: biodiversity; citizenship; socioscientific issues; argumentation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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