Pedagogical actions that promote critical thinking in future science teachers

This study aims to identify and characterize the critical thinking skills activated in the discourse of preservice teachers, based on the pedagogical actions implemented by a teacher educator during science lessons. The research is framed within the interpretive paradigm, using a qualitative approach and a single case study design, complemented by discourse analysis. The results show that certain pedagogical actions (such as the formulation of open-ended questions, the use of Socratic dialogue, the modeling of a skeptical attitude, and the implementation of inquiry-based methodologies) promote the activation of skills such as inference, analysis, explanation, and, to a lesser extent, self-regulation. It is concluded that these pedagogical practices help create favorable conditions for the development of critical thinking in teacher education. This study offers a situated contribution that invites further exploration of effective strategies to strengthen this competence in future teachers.