Letramento científico de meninas e mulheres no ensino médio: um estudo de caso sobre a equidade de gênero na educação científica

Abstract

The entry of women into science has been gradually increasing in Brazil and around the world. However, women are still a minority when compared to men, including in higher education in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), where the male presence is greater than the female. Understanding this issue requires analyzing the role of women in a society marked by patriarchy and its implications for their scientific training. The present study aimed to understand the scientific literacy process of girls and women in high school, with an emphasis on Chemistry education, identifying the sociocultural origin of the difficulties of female presence in STEM areas. To this end, we take as central categories the conception of scientific literacy, the Science, Technology, Society and Environment (CTSA) perspective, Chemical education and women in science. We adopted, as a field of investigation, a Reference School in Elementary and Secondary Education from the state public network, having as subjects girls from the 1st to 3rd year of High School and teachers of exact sciences. The methodology favored a qualitative approach, opting for a case study, an approach that has the potential to reveal the various dimensions existing in a given situation. To this end, we used, as data collection instruments, the documentary analysis of the Pedagogical Political Project (PPP) of the study field school and the Mathematics and Natural Sciences curriculum, with the aim of obtaining information about the girls' academic training, identifying the possible contributions of the Chemistry curriculum experienced and mapping strategies that encourage girls' participation in science; the application of a questionnaire to students aiming to understand the perception of girls studying in high school about science and chemistry and their level of interest in STEM subjects; and holding a focus group, as a way of understanding the teachers' views on the topic, and raising possibilities for the school to act with a view to stimulating girls' interest in science. As an interpretative framework, we opted for Content Analysis, aiming to understand the scientific education of girls in high school. The results of this work allowed us to infer that the curriculum addresses important elements for scientific education, but without making reference or presenting proposals for girls' scientific education. The PPP analysis pointed to training focused on events, such as the Olympics and external evaluation processes. The data obtained indicate that girls' understanding of science is restricted, with them unaware of the process of constructing scientific thinking and what it means to be a scientist. These analyzes made it possible to visualize the process of girls' scientific literacy, contributing to the fight against gender inequality by defending science education that promotes the formation of citizens who can think and act scientifically, favoring female participation in STEM areas. They also suggest the urgency of fostering this debate in schools, combating structural machismo inside and outside educational institutions, contributing to awareness that combating gender inequality, at all levels, is a collective responsibility.