Homeopatic products can be considered medicine? Beliefs of elementary preservice teachers

Abstract

Impeled by a newspaper article about the inclusion of homeopatic products in the list of medicines, the beliefs and type of justifications of 42 elementary preservice teachers about them. The results show that in the beginning the majority did believe in the eficacy of the homeopathy and supported it being considered medicine. Several activities were designed to foster students´ use of data and critical thinking. At the end of the teaching sequence, the results show that the positions changed somehow and that the students referred to scientific evidence in their justifications more often. However, the change has not been as big as expected. Implications for education, such as learning about pseudosciences and fostering scientific competency of students, are discussed.