19TH-CENTURY CLASSICAL LITERATURE AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR TEACHING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY: AN ANALYSIS BASED ON FRANKENSTEIN AND THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

Abstract

This study analyzes the pedagogical potential of 19th-century classical literature as a resource for implementing the Science, Technology, and Society (STS) approach in secondary education. The central research problem investigates how canonical literary works can be mobilized to problematize socio-scientific issues, overcoming the ahistorical and elitist perspective often associated with canonical reading. The methodology is qualitative, interpretative, and hermeneutic, based on Discursive Textual Analysis (DTA) applied to excerpts from Frankenstein (Shelley, 1818) and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Stevenson, 1886), in dialogue with STS theoretical frameworks. The results demonstrate that these works not only reflect but also anticipate key ethical dilemmas of contemporary technoscience, functioning as “textual laboratories” for discussing scientific responsibility and the social impacts of innovation. The study concludes that classical literature is a powerful tool for fostering critical scientific literacy and promoting an interdisciplinary approach between Humanities and Natural Sciences, contributing to students’ civic engagement and ethical awareness.