THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND BIOLOGY EDUCATION AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN BASIC EDUCATION: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

This article presents a systematic literature review addressing the research question: “Has Science and Biology education engaged with social issues present in contemporary society?” To answer this, a systematic review was conducted covering the National Meeting on Research in Science Education (ENPEC) from 2013 to 2023, focusing on the inclusion of social issues in K-12 Science and Biology education. The objectives were to: (i) identify how topics such as health and other social issues have been addressed in school contexts, analyzing the theoretical-methodological and pedagogical perspectives proposed by various authors; and (ii) understand the trends, contributions, and challenges highlighted by recent academic literature, emphasizing the role of Science education in fostering citizenship. Twenty-nine studies were qualitatively analyzed using Bardin’s content analysis method, resulting in the emergence of four thematic categories. The results indicate that K-12 Science and Biology education serves as a significant space for reflecting on social and health-related topics, although the data show a decline in the number of published studies on this subject over the years analyzed.