Science fiction and science education: 1984 in classroom

Big Brother, newspeak, doublethink, vapourised people and thought police became worldwide famous expressions. 1984 novel portrays a nightmare society controlled by information manipulation and by suppression of both history and science. This study aimed to investigate the impact of using the 1984 dystopian novel associated with socio-scientific issues (SSI) in the development of moral values and reasoning skills of high school students. An interdisciplinary didactic program encompassing the Arts, Philosophy and Biology subjects was elaborated to stimulate discussion and debates around SSIs. The didactic intervention was evaluated through a questionnaire and the 1984 film debate. The students were able to explore scientific concepts to discuss social issues and correlated the allegory of the cave topic with alienation and the 1984 novel. The students also recognised that the approached issues are related not only to their life in society but to existential human conditions. We claim that dystopian texts allied to SSI debates can function as creativity triggers to stimulate students developing the inquiry skills and dispositions needed to express themselves, challenging fake news and uncovering new possibilities to apprehend the truth.