Science in Society – SenS

The SenS action research project focuses on the study, development and evaluation of the impact of mediation actions on scientific knowledge, representations and attitudes of trust or distrust towards science and critical thinking of various target audiences: children, young people, students, adults. According to design-basedresearch, mediation actions will be developed on several themes: platism, sexual dimorphism of the brain, gravitational waves and transhumanism, selected for their social and / or media liveliness and the development of false information and fallacious arguments about them, and their relevance for understanding the methods of production of scientific knowledge. A digital device for L1 students has already been developed on these themes to develop the critical skills of audiences exposed to various and contradictory discourses on science. It is already operational, and it will be extended to other audiences. The comparative study of different themes and mediation actions with the digital device already developed, will allow us to identify the advantages and obstacles to mediation and communication, and in the propositional and pragmatic dimension of action research, to develop potential solutions. We will produce knowledge on the constituent elements of an effective design of scientific mediation and communication activities on the selected themes. In the analytical dimension of action-research, our results relating to scientific knowledge, trust / mistrust in science and critical thinking of different audiences will contribute to the understanding of contemporary changes in science-society relations and information disorder.