Teacher education and science popularization in Italy

the role of children’s literature

Abstract

The article aims to examine the relationship between scientific dissemination and teacher training from a historical, pedagogical and narrative point of view. Scientific culture in Italy from the time of national unification to today has experienced different and contradictory periods: the theme of popular vulgarisation of scientific contents has always intensely involved both schools and society, as the anti-vax positions during the current pandemic still demonstrate today. Faced with these difficult controversies, scientific dissemination and related publishing qualify, even historically, as important educational resources which the initial and in service teachers training must take into account: the aesthetic, communicative and literary potential of the scientific narrative works helps young people to access formal knowledge of a technical, biological and physical nature. However, it is an awareness that is barely making its way into teacher training contexts.