THE PERCEPTION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF SANTA QUITÉRIA–CE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

Scientific literacy is currently one of the main goals of public education
policy. To promote it is necessary not only to teach about science but also to
evidence its social importance. This was an exploratory study that aimed to
characterize the perception of high school students in Santa Quitéria–CE
about Science and Technology (S&T), assessing their knowledge and interests
about S&T, identifying their sources and search means of scientific
knowledge, and discussing the role of the school and the teacher in the
critical development of students about S&T. The study was conducted through
a questionnaire using the tool Google Forms with objective and subjective
questions which was made available to students of high school in the city of
Santa Quitéria, northwestern Ceará. The results showed that students have
positive views about the importance of science in society, and that they are
interested in the topic. However, they still show stereotyped conceptions
about scientific job and difficulty in recognizing national and regional
scientific research institutions. Based on the informations, it is possible to
improve actions on scientific popularization, including science education in
schools, enabling the development of new strategies and methodologies that
enhances the advancement of scientific literacy in the region studied.