Inscriptions - graphs, diagrams, photographs, tables, and so forth - are central to scientific practice. In this study, a semiotic model was used to evaluate the reading of inscriptions by undergraduate chemistry students when giving oral presentations based on original research articles about environmental chemistry. Results revealed that the model helps to identify the extension of the adequacy of using inscriptions by the students in communicative situations. Potentialities and limitations of the model for chemistry education are discussed.

Collective authorship or a text written by more than one person in a computer-based environment can bring significant benefits to chemistry teaching, mainly concerning flexibilizing forms of interaction among those involved and collaborative construction of knowledge. This work investigates collective authorship activities based on constructing argumentative texts in groups with the participation of undergraduate chemistry students. In the activity, those involved, divided into groups, followed the textual production process aiming to present a joint solution for case studies. It was possible to understand aspects of collective work in the authorship process in question regarding collaboration and cooperation based on two perspectives considered crucial for collaborative writing: conditions offered by the electronic platform called eduqui.info, and in which contexts these possibilities were present in the writing process; and the organisational aspects of the activity. Overall, groups chose to collaborate more than cooperate. In other words, data shows that most of the students worked collaboratively in groups.

Resumo La alfabetización científica es la capacidad de involucrarse en temas relacionados con la ciencia y la ciencia en sí misma, como un ciudadano reflexivo. Existe una preocupación acerca de los niveles de alfabetización científica de los estudiantes y la población en general. La literatura muestra dificultades y escasez de estudios que realizan este tipo de enfoque. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo presentar los niveles de alfabetización científica de una clase de preparatoria a partir de la lectura, escritura y argumentación utilizada para resolver casos de investigación. Así, se crearon dos casos de investigación con los temas Diabetes Mellitus y Repelentes y se aplicaron en dos clases de una escuela secundaria brasileña, para 60 estudiantes. Para el análisis de los resultados, se definieron cinco indicadores de alfabetización científica (percepción de la ciencia y la tecnología en la vida diaria, trabajo con información científica, resolución de problemas, lenguaje científico y argumentación) y se atribuyeron cuatro niveles de alfabetización científica a cada uno de ellos. Del análisis de la presentación oral y los textos producidos por los estudiantes para resolver los casos, llegamos a la conclusión que la mayoría de los estudiantes están terminando la escuela secundaria con niveles inadecuados de alfabetización científica, además de tener grandes dificultades para tomar decisiones, argumentar y percibir la ciencia en sus vidas cotidianas.

Abstract Scientific Literacy is the ability to get involved with the issues related to science and the science itself, as a reflective citizen. There is a concern about scientific literacy levels of students and the general population, and the literature displays difficulties and shortage of studies that perform this type of approach. This study aimed to present the scientific literacy levels of a high school graduating class from the reading, writing and argumentation used in solving investigative cases. Thus, two investigative cases were created with the issues Diabetes Mellitus and Repellents, and applied in two classes of a Brazilian high school, for 60 students. For the analysis of the results, five scientific literacy indicators (perception of science and technology in daily life, working with scientific information, problem solving, scientific language and argumentation) were defined and four levels of scientific literacy were attributed to each of them. From the analysis of the oral presentation and texts produced by the students in solving the cases, we concluded that the majority of students analyzed are ending high school with inadequate levels of scientific literacy, besides having great difficulties in decision making, arguing and perceiving science in their daily lives.