Educational Approaches of Biotechnologies in Science Education through an analysis of journals in the area

Due to the great possibilities made available by the use of biotechnology and to its growing presence on people lives, it urges understanding how Science Education, especially Chemistry, approaches the teaching of such techniques. This paper aims to analyze and to point out the educational possibilities of biotechnologies by means of a research in papers published in nine journals of relevance to the Science Education area, mainly to Chemistry. It was selected 54 texts by electronic means using the following keywords: biotechnology, transgenic, soy, and their derivatives. The Discursive Textual Analysis generated meanings which are grouped in three categories: a variety of relations between Science and Biotechnologies; partial comprehensions about biotechnologies by teachers, students and undergraduates, and; three major approaches of biotechnologies in Science Education — “Developmentist” approach aims the innovation for economic development; Propaedeutic approach, towards the resolution of societal problems exclusively by concepts apprehension, and; Broad Science and Technology Literacy, which discuss the concepts, values, principles and philosophies for solving social problems. Finally, the theme Biotechnologies is inceptive in the area and more researches are needed to investigate and divulgate its possibilities for discussing scientific uncertainties and interdisciplinary practices in Science Education