SCIENTIFIC DISSEMINATION AND SOCIAL APPROPRIATION OF KNOWLEDGEcientífica y apropiación social del conocimiento: análisis de una experiencia universitaria con estudiantes de bachillerato en Tabasco, México

ANALYSIS OF A UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN TABASCO, MEXICO

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study that analyzes the perception of science among upper secondary education students in Tabasco, Mexico, based on their participation in science outreach workshops conducted by the University Science Clubs (CUC) at the Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT). The main goal was to determine how these activities influence the construction of a closer and more accessible view of scientific practice, demystifying the scientist figure and encouraging scientific vocations. Using a quantitative, non-experimental, and descriptive approach, a survey was applied to students from COBATAB and CONALEP, two representative institutions of upper secondary education in the region. The results allow identifying the most effective outreach activities and describe differences in perception according to gender and previous involvement in scientific initiatives. Based on David Hume’s empiricist theory, the study highlights experience as the foundation of knowledge development and suggests that early engagement with science, through strategies of public engagement and social appropriation, may positively influence academic choices. The findings show that the University Science Clubs serve as high-value educational spaces that promote a more democratized image of science and contribute to narrowing the gap between science and society in low-scientific-literacy educational contexts.