Dealing with STS-E at Universityan experience with students of the Degree in Pre-School Teacher Training

Resum

This paper presents an experience conducted with students of the Degree of Pre-School Teacher Training at the University of Valladolid (Spain), in the frame of a compulsory subject whose curricula includes a part devoted to treat STS-E interactions. The experience, which has been implemented according to the PROFILES (Professional Reflection-Oriented Focus on Inquiry-based Learning and Education through Science) philosophy, consisted in the analysis of newspaper/magazine news about socio-scientific issues, with the main purpose of facilitating the comprehension of the tensions occurring among science, technology, society and the environment to students. We also aimed to teaching science as a part of our culture and to improved students' motivation in relation with technological and scientific current issues. To asses whether such objectives were achieved, we used a specifically designed Likert-type instrument. Results show a highly positive valuation of the activity by students, most of who found it interesting and useful. However, it is also shown that a single activity cannot make most students change their mind in relation to science, moreover when they have not studied it for a long time.