"Alfabetizacao Cientifica" Versus "Letramento Cientifico": A problem of denomination or a conceptual difference?

Abstract

In Brazil, both alfabetizacao cientifica and letramento cientifico have been used to refer to scientific education. The reading of the main Brazilian authors on the topic shows that use of these terms may not present consistency of signification. The introduction of letramento (literacy) in language and education studies, in the 80's, was intended to distinguish the abilities necessary for reading and writing, such as encoding and decoding the alphabet, from the social practices of reading and writing. Alfabetizacao cientifica and letramento cientifico are both translated to English as scientific literacy. Considering that alfabetizacao cientifica and letramento cientifico are even more recent concepts, we seek, first, to analyze the conceptual differences between alfabetizacao and letramento and, secondly, to analyze how authors and scholars in the field of science education have used them. In conclusion, while for some authors it is a mere variation of denomination, for others there is a conceptual difference.