Food safety knowledge among 7th-grade middle school students: A report of a Brazilian municipal school using workshop-based educational strategies.

Practical methodologies that include food safety and hygiene education in pedagogical activities are strategies to prevent foodborne diseases (FBDs). Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge of 7th-grade middle school students regarding food microbiology and food safety, and to apply workshop-based educational strategies that focus on scientific literacy. The students (144) were initially evaluated using a Likert-scale questionnaire (pre-intervention, Q0) with ten objective questions on microbiology and food safety. Once the questionnaire was evaluated, interventions were conducted through five science workshops of 50 min, over a period of 5 months. The workshops included educational games, laboratory practices, videos, and lectures that addressed microorganisms that are known to cause the most common FBDs in Brazil. After each workshop, students were asked to express their opinions and understanding of the content through semi-structured interviews. Six months after the end of the practical interventions, the students completed a second identical Likert-scale questionnaire (post-intervention, Q1), and the answers to both questionnaires (Q0 and Q1) were analyzed by calculating the middle rank. The middle rank of Q1 (mean = 0.65 ± 0.13) was 21% greater than the middle rank of Q0 (mean = 0.44 ± 0.16), and statistical significance was observed (p = .0135). This demonstrates that new information acquired during the workshops positively influenced learning. We believe that when practical approaches to food safety are included in school education as a priority, the prevalence of FBD will decrease.

Drama as a Powerful Tool to Enrich Socio-scientific Argumentation.

Socio-scientific argumentation (SSA) is increasingly being recognized as a key aspect of scientific literacy. Much of the reason for this is that this skill is crucial for helping students to become active participants in twenty-first-century democratic societies in which the construction of informed and critical views of socio-scientific issues (e.g. climate change, COVID-19 vaccination, genetic testing) plays a fundamental role. The problem is that instructors rarely give students explicit and research-based opportunities to enrich their SSA skills. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide evidence that drama can be used as a platform to enrich argumentation in genetic testing. The data were derived from the written responses and the audio recordings of seventy-six university students (37 females and 39 males, 16-29 years old) in Colombia during a complete drama-based teaching-learning sequence (TLS) supervised by the same instructor. The outcomes suggest that the sequence can be used to enrich argumentation in genetic testing as it effectively provided participants with explicit opportunities to produce both arguments and counterarguments about the controversy whether the use of genetic tests among people should be encouraged. This study contributes to the literature on SSA in science education by demonstrating that drama is a promising tool to enhance argumentation about science-based social issues. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10763-022-10320-3.

Co-design of a Teaching-Learning Sequence to Address COVID­19 as a Socio­scientific Issue in an Infodemic Context.

In the post-truth era, one challenge facing science education is the circulation of fake news that distorts the information available for decision-making on issues that have a scientific basis and are controversial for society. In this work, we aimed at designing a learning environment with the objective of equipping students with skills that allow them to deal with socio-scientific issues (SSI) in an infodemic context. To this end, we proposed an educational innovation through design-based research, which was oriented to the treatment of information disseminated in the media and social networks related to COVID-19. We divided this information into four major constructs: virus and disease dynamics; pandemic and environmental crisis; hygiene and protocols; and vaccines, potential solutions, and pharmaceutical industry. On the basis of the activities of the didactic sequence, which included class discussion, interviews with the immediate environment, audiovisual productions, and a final plenary, we identified criteria that students applied to trust or not trust the circulating information and a series of strategies to corroborate the information. In addition, framing COVID-19 as an SSI allowed the discussion of curricular content in science and on sociocultural dimensions that cross the pandemic. Based on the implementation of the teaching-learning sequence, we conclude that the proposed activities favored reflection on critical thinking and awareness of the responsibilities they have as potential disseminators and/or generators of information.

Towards Covid-19 Literacy: Investigating the Literacy Levels of University Students in Colombia.

Covid-19 literacy, induced by the coronavirus disease (2019), is characterized as the understanding of Covid-19 as well as informed decisions based upon this understanding. This type of literacy is closely related to health literacy, scientific literacy, and scientific media literacy. It may be obvious to say that Covid-19 literacy is a key factor for governments to effectively manage the Covid-19 transition. However, lack of literature exists about Covid-19 literacy among university students. Therefore, the current study aimed to determine the Covid-19 literacy level among 4168 students from a Colombian university. The data were derived from students' responses to a 25-item anonymous online self-reporting questionnaire. We found that 21-25-year age group, graduate students, students enrolled prior to 2015, and medical students had a significantly higher mean score. Moreover, the Internet (86.8%) was the most popular source of information from which participants gained most information regarding Covid-19. Furthermore, 58.5% of the participants considered health workers as a source that can provide accurate information. Most importantly, the findings reveal the students' knowledge about (1) the role of an eventual process of vaccination, (2) the test currently used as diagnostic for Covid-19, and (3) the fatality rate, three aspects of Covid-19 literacy that deserve more attention. The findings provide a useful basis for the formulation of policies and concrete actions in improving Covid-19 literacy.

Controvérsias científicas em ambientes educacionais: percepções dos estudantes e suas potencialidades / Scientific controversies in educational environments: perceptions of students and its potentialities

The decision-making in the face of scientific and technological products that permeate the life of the population is increasingly necessary, but conflicting in the presence of social, ethical and moral issues. In this context, teaching with a STSE (Science, Technology, Society and Environment) approach has been inserted in different educational spaces, aiming to prepare citizens to deal with these products, understanding the scientific nature and being able to take decisions and participate in debates present in society, since science takes on controversial issues from the social point of view. In view of this challenge, the development of educational actions and syllabus that work with this focus are essential objects for the restructuring of teaching, therefore, the present work aimed to identify what the school public thinks when participating in an educational action, with focus on scientific controversies, in interface with a non-formal space, in addition to the influence of this approach for the perceptive construction of students. For this, a qualitative research was carried out through observational monitoring and the application of questionnaires, being a pre- test and a post educational action, which sought to work on pre-defined aspects of scientific controversies, being their definition, the social actors, the institutions involved and the impact on society. The answers obtained were transcribed, tabulated and analyzed according to the students' perceptual change. The results demonstrated the potential of this type of approach, since before the educational action the students had a deficit of knowledge in the subjects covered and a stigmatized view of science, as a neutral and untouchable image, and subsequently demonstrated a significant change in this perception, presenting a broader look in all aspects and reaching the objectives of the STSE approach, such as scientific literacy, active participation, among others. It is concluded that the application of an educational action designed in the STSE approach is able to add new knowledge, stimulate the active participation of citizens in society and make them able to make conflicting decisions.

A tomada de decisões diante dos produtos científicos e tecnológicos que permeiam a vida da população se vê cada vez mais necessária, porém conflitante em presença de questões sociais, éticas e morais. Nesse contexto, o ensino com enfoque CTSA (Ciência, Tecnologia, Sociedade e Ambiente) vem sendo inserido em diferentes espaços educacionais, visando preparar os cidadãos a lidarem com esses produtos compreendendo a natureza científica e estando aptos na tomada de decisões e na participação de debates presentes na sociedade, uma vez que a ciência assume questões controversas do ponto de vista social. Perante esse desafio, o desenvolvimento de ações educativas e de conteúdos programáticos que trabalhem esse enfoque são objetos essenciais para a reestruturação do ensino, portanto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo identificar o que o público escolar pensa ao participar de uma ação educativa, com foco em controvérsias científicas, em interface com um espaço não formal, além da influência dessa abordagem para a construção perceptiva dos estudantes. Para isso, foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa através do acompanhamento observacional e da aplicação de questionários impressos, sendo um pré-teste e um pós ação educativa, que buscaram trabalhar aspectos pré-definidos de controvérsias cientificas, sendo eles sua definição, os atores sociais, as instituições envolvidas e o impacto na sociedade. As respostas obtidas foram transcritas, tabeladas e analisadas conforme a mudança perceptiva dos estudantes. Os resultados demonstraram as potencialidades desse tipo de abordagem, uma vez que antes da ação educativa os estudantes apresentaram uma déficit de conhecimento nos assuntos abordados e uma visão estigmada da ciência, como uma imagem neutra e intocável, e posteriormente demonstraram uma mudança significativa nessa percepção, apresentando um olhar mais amplo em todos os aspectos e atingindo os objetivos do enfoque CTSA, como a alfabetização científica, a participação ativa, entre outros. Conclui-se que a aplicação de uma ação educativa pensada no enfoque CTSA é capaz de agregar novos conhecimentos, estimular a participação ativa dos cidadãos na sociedade e torná-los aptos na tomada de decisões conflitantes.

Children as curators: how to incorporate young visitors' voices into the elaboration and evaluation of a microbiology exhibition / Crianças como curadores: como incorporar as vozes dos jovens visitantes na elaboração e avaliação de uma exibição de microbiologia

Abstract Studies of museum publics are relatively recent, and studies of child visitors are even more recent. In this paper we summarize the types of exhibition evaluations mentioned in the literature and present an evaluation process for an exhibition about microbiology developed for and with input from 4-to-6-year-old children. As a case study we analyzed an exhibition entitled "The Giant World of Microbes." Audio and video interviews were recorded with child visitors, and the stimulated recall technique was also employed. The data indicate the importance of interactive activities in enhancing child motivation and providing pertinent routes to follow when preparing an exhibition geared toward children.

Resumo Os estudos sobre exibições em museus são relativamente recentes, e estudos sobre crianças visitantes são mais recentes ainda. Este trabalho faz um resumo dos tipos de avaliações de exibição mencionados na literatura e apresenta um processo de avaliação para uma exibição de microbiologia desenvolvida para, e com o auxilio de, crianças entre 4 e 6 anos. Como estudo de caso analisamos uma exibição intitulada "O Mundo Gigante dos Micróbios". Foram gravadas entrevistas de áudio e vídeo com os visitantes mirins, e também se utilizou a técnica de estimulação da memória. Os dados indicam a importância das atividades interativas no fortalecimento da motivação das crianças e oferecem caminhos pertinentes a seguir na elaboração de exibições focadas no público infantil.

Alfabetización científica para la salud global: una reflexión respecto a la formación en investigación / Scientific literacy for global health: a reflection regarding education in research / Alfabetização científica para a saúde global: uma reflexão relativa à formação na investigação

El presente trabajo es una reflexión que intenta contribuir a la discusión en torno a la formación en investigación de los profesionales de la Salud, tomando en cuenta dos conceptos: la alfabetización científica y la salud global. Ambos se vinculan a partir de la reflexividad, habilidad necesaria para la formación en investigación de los futuros profesionales de la Salud. De esta manera, el objetivo es: Proponer la alfabetización científica para la formación en investigación de profesionales de la Salud, en el contexto de los desafíos de la salud global. Para esto se cuestiona la formación basada en la enseñanza del método científico o de métodos cualitativos, argumentando el riesgo de tecnificar la investigación. Se valora, a su vez, la contribución de los métodos cualitativos para la formación de los profesionales de la Salud.

The present study is a reflection with the aim of contributing to a discussion on the research training of Healthcare professionals, taking two concepts into consideration: scientific literacy and global health. Both concepts are linked to reflexivity, a necessary skill to the training in research of future Healthcare professionals. Hence, the objective of this study is to propose the development of scientific literacy for education in research for Healthcare professionals, in the context of the challenges of global health. For that purpose, the study questions the training based on teaching the scientific method or qualitative methods, arguing on the risk of making research too technical, while evaluating the contribution of qualitative methods to the training of Healthcare professionals.

O presente trabalho é uma reflexão que procura contribuir para a discussão sobre o treinamento em pesquisa de profissionais de Saúde, levando em consideração dois conceitos: alfabetização científica e saúde global. Ambos estão ligados à reflexividade, habilidade necessária para o treinamento de pesquisa de futuros profissionais de Saúde. Desta forma, o objetivo é: Propor a alfabetização científica para formação em pesquisa de profissionais de Saúde, no contexto dos desafios da saúde global. Para isso, o treinamento baseado no ensino do método científico ou métodos qualitativos é questionado, argumentando o risco de tecnificar a pesquisa. Por sua vez, o contributo dos métodos qualitativos para o treinamento de profissionais de Saúde é avaliado.

Children as curators: how to incorporate young visitors’ voices into the elaboration and evaluation of a microbiology exhibition

Studies of museum publics are relatively recent, and studies of child visitors are even more recent. In this paper we summarize the types of exhibition evaluations mentioned in the literature and present an evaluation process for an exhibition about microbiology developed for and with input from 4-to-6-year-old children. As a case study we analyzed an exhibition entitled "The Giant World of Microbes." Audio and video interviews were recorded with child visitors, and the stimulated recall technique was also employed. The data indicate the importance of interactive activities in enhancing child motivation and providing pertinent routes to follow when preparing an exhibition geared toward children.

Sociodrama na formação inicial de professores de ciências: enfrentando as dificuldades e conflitos na iniciação à docência / Sociodrama in the introductory training of science teachers: addressing the difficulties and conflicts in teachers' training

Muitos trabalhos demonstram a importância de uma formação de professores que promova a reflexão, mas é preciso levar em conta as particularidades vividas por esses profissionais para proporcionar soluções cocriadas. Neste trabalho apresentamos as primeiras reflexões sobre um projeto voltado à investigação do papel do sociodrama como prática para fomentar a formação de professores que lecionam ciências. A partir das avaliações apresentadas pelos participantes, demonstramos que o sociodrama, como uma prática importante na formação de professores, viabiliza debates para além de uma discussão verbal e se pauta em acontecimentos vividos como forma de incentivo à reflexão dos educadores.(AU)

Various studies have pointed out the importance of teachers' training that promotes reflection but, in order to provide co-created solutions, one must take into account the particular experiences of these professionals. This paper presents the first reflections on a project aimed at investigating the role of sociodrama practice fostering the training of science teachers. Based on the evaluations provided by the participants of this project, we demonstrate that sociodrama is an important tool in teachers' training, as it enables debates to develop beyond verbal discussion and it offers experiential guidance that stimulates reflection in the educators.(AU)

Sociodrama na formação inicial de professores de ciências: enfrentando as dificuldades e conflitos na iniciação à docência / Sociodrama in the introductory training of science teachers: addressing the difficulties and conflicts in teachers' training

Muitos trabalhos demonstram a importância de uma formação de professores que promova a reflexão, mas é preciso levar em conta as particularidades vividas por esses profissionais para proporcionar soluções cocriadas. Neste trabalho apresentamos as primeiras reflexões sobre um projeto voltado à investigação do papel do sociodrama como prática para fomentar a formação de professores que lecionam ciências. A partir das avaliações apresentadas pelos participantes, demonstramos que o sociodrama, como uma prática importante na formação de professores, viabiliza debates para além de uma discussão verbal e se pauta em acontecimentos vividos como forma de incentivo à reflexão dos educadores.

Various studies have pointed out the importance of teachers' training that promotes reflection but, in order to provide co-created solutions, one must take into account the particular experiences of these professionals. This paper presents the first reflections on a project aimed at investigating the role of sociodrama practice fostering the training of science teachers. Based on the evaluations provided by the participants of this project, we demonstrate that sociodrama is an important tool in teachers' training, as it enables debates to develop beyond verbal discussion and it offers experiential guidance that stimulates reflection in the educators.

Identifying reasons for failure in biomedical research and publishing

The regular assessment of Brazilian scientific output means that individual university departments need to constantly improve the quantity and quality of their scientific output. A significant proportion of this output involves the work of Master’s and Doctoral students, but getting this work published in a suitable journal can often prove to be a challenge. Although students’ lack of fluency in English is a contributing factor, many of the problems observed have an early origin in the formulation of the research problem and its relevance to current research trends in the international literature. In short, more time needs to be spent in the library and less in the laboratory, and more effort needs to be made in teaching students basic research skills such as the effective use of bibliographic databases like PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus.