The present study focused on analyzing how apprentice teachers deal with controversial themes which could be discussed with their students-to-be, and the methodological approach to be used in addressing them. The methodology consisted of the application and analysis of an open-ended questionnaire, related to four cases with controversial contents applied to 32 apprentice teachers of science and biology from three Universities in the city of São Paulo. The data showed that the apprentice teachers are able to notice ethical conflicts in the cases, although they do not explicit strategies on how to approach them. For them, the teacher has a central role as the one who exposes the themes. Thus, the initial training has not contributed in providing future teachers the ability to position themselves when dealing with differences of opinion. One should point out the importance of Bioethics in the scientific debate about socialization and its value as a methodological instrument in Science teaching.
Science teaching; Biology teaching; Bioethics; Teacher formation; Controversial themes; Citizenship
