Paulo Freire in worldwide science education: an overview

Abstract

Paulo Freire’s works are among the most cited books in Social Science research and the most influential philosopher in critical curriculum studies. However, Freire himself often felt misunderstood, reduced to only a few of his concepts or to a method, being criticized by his oversight of racial matters, sexist language and utilitarian view of environment. Recognizing the diverse interpretations of Freire's work can provide researchers and practitioners with alternatives for addressing contemporary issues in science education. Given the critical role of academic publications in advancing science and the importance of coauthorship in shaping research and researcher identities, this paper proposes bibliometric tools for investigating how Paulo Freire's ideas have been appropriated into science education, seeking to elucidate the composition of coauthorship groups, the patterns of their interactions, and the ways in which they incorporate Freire's works into their research. Twenty-seven groups with at least three papers and two authors are found, of which 14 make perfunctory references to Freire’s works. Brazil and USA are the most prolific countries in the field, no African research is found, and few interactions are held between Latin American nations. Clusters that make significant references to Freire addresses thematic investigation and reflective practices, mainly in teacher education; racial issues, power imbalance, and STS and SSI approaches are also related to Freirean science education. In conclusion, more interaction between clusters can develop the field theoretically and methodologically; also, there is need for reflecting on science education research in Latin America and Africa, and the possibilities of this cooperation.