Addressing Socio-scientific and Historical Scientific Controversies to Promote Critical Thinking in Teacher Training in Sciences

This study analyzes the assessments and experiences associated with the implementation of socio-scientific controversies and historical scientific controversies in science teaching courses in a teacher training institution in Chile. For its development, an instrumental case study with a descriptive-interpretative approach was adopted. The research involved the assessment of 132 future teachers, the collection of the retrospective report of the teacher trainer, and the memories of activities carried out over six years, covering six generations of students. The results reported various positive evaluations, highlighting the promotion of critical thinking and commitment to learning. It is concluded that addressing socio-scientific controversies and historical scientific controversies are highly valued strategies for promoting critical thinking in future teachers while providing them with tools to address complex topics in the science classroom.