Controlled Controversy and STS Approach in the Secondary-Level Teacher Training Course (Magistério): Technology and Social Well-being

Abstract

This paper presents a didactic-investigative experience developed within a course of the Graduate Program in Science, Technology, and Education (PPCTE) at CEFET-RJ, grounded in the technique of controlled controversy applied to the Upper Secondary Teacher Education Program (Curso Normal Médio). The experience was structured around question 40531 of the PIERCTS, “Will more technology improve our country’s standard of living?”, which addresses the relationship between technology and social well-being. The study was organized into three stages: administration of an initial questionnaire with controversial alternatives, development of mediated debates through a social messaging network, and reapplication of the questionnaire at the end of the process. The objective of the study was to observe indications of controversial thinking and to promote critical reflection on the social impacts of technology, in light of the Science–Technology–Society (STS) approach. The research was conducted at a state public secondary school located in the interior of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Initially, seven lead teachers participated; over the course of the study, one participant withdrew, resulting in six (6) effective participants. The findings indicate that controlled controversy proved to be a relevant strategy for fostering engagement, critical thinking, and a more complex understanding of the relationship between technology and society.