Critical and creative thinking in science education from the earliest years

Challenges and potentialities

Abstract

At the current moment, especially in democratic societies deeply marked by science and technology, scientific literacy and critical and creative thinking appear to be crucial components in the formation of children and young people, as citizens capable of thinking and acting enlightened and rationally in different situations. life contexts, to enable the construction of more productive, equitable and fairer ways of life. The relevance of science education is advocated, from an early age, for all children, from a scientific literacy perspective. This implies an emphasis on developing critical and creative thinking. Promoting these types of thinking among children and young people requires and imposes, from the outset, a comprehensive vision, clear in relation to what is meant by PCC and, coherently, with ways of promoting it, anchored and based on scientific evidence, based on research. In this article, a framework for critical and creative thinking is explained, supporting the development, explicit, intentional and well-founded, of actions encouraging the development of these ways of thinking in children. In this framework, strategies and their respective operationalization are described, to ensure guidance for critical and creative thinking.