As representações sociais de acadêmicos de ciências e biologia sobre evolução biológica

Abstract

The present study had as main objective to investigate the social representations that permeate the conceptions of the academics of natural sciences and biological sciences on the biological evolution. Social representations are the notions elaborated to uncover unknowns of relevant subjects, these are influenced by the media, by beliefs, daily life and cultural factors. In the area of sciences and biology biological evolution is a permeated content of social representations, since diverse beliefs and cultures talk about the origin of life and the variety of living forms. The influence of social representations on the subject has an impact on the way it is taught, so it is important to investigate this problem among the graduates who will soon be able to act as professors. Considering the above, the data of this research were collected through questionnaires applied to nine undergraduate students of Interdisciplinary Degree in Natural Sciences (3rd period), and twenty-three undergraduate students in Biological Sciences (2nd period) of the Federal Technological University of Paraná, Ponta Grossa campus. The questionnaires were composed of five objective and five dis-cursive questions for the purpose of obtaining personal data from the participants, such as sex and age, as well as to investigate what scientific concepts about evolution they had, as well as whether social representations were part of the your under-standing of the subject. From the textual analysis of the participants' answers it was possible to identify some erroneous ideas associated with the concept of biological evolution, such as ideas of progress, increasing valuation, transformism, and linearity of the evolutionary process. Social representations, especially those associated with religiosity, contribute to the formation of these ideas that somehow combine with the scientific knowledge obtained in the academic environment. All of these factors will influence how the subject will be addressed by these future science and biology professors.