Superando conflitos: diálogos em sala de aula sobre a religião e a história da ciência

Abstract

In this work we present the field of studies called Science and Religion, followed by a brief historical overview showing how this relationship is much more complex than the conflict often portrayed in textbooks and present in common sense. Then, we report the experience of a teaching project carried out at the Federal Institute of Goiás and, finally, we bring an analysis of the data collected from students who participated in this project. Data were collected through questionnaires and focus groups. The results indicate that: 1) a dialogical science education connected with the students' reality needs to openly include discussions about the relationship between Science and Religion; 2) exposing people to historical examples of the relationship between Science and Religion through dialogue proved to be effective in overcoming stereotyped visions of insoluble conflict between them; 3) even if deeper analyzes are necessary, it is indispensable to qualify the teachers to deal with the topic, as well as to develop more appropriate teaching material.