The relationship between science fiction and ecological dystopias in the development of socio-environmental skills in higher education

Abstract

The main objective of this scientific article is to establish the relationship between the literary genre of science fiction (SF), learning, and the development of pro-environmental competencies in university students. Within this framework, the study aims to examine the relationship between science fiction and sustainability education in higher education, analyzing the conceptual frameworks and teaching strategies reported in the literature, as well as their educational potential for the development of complex thinking and socio-environmental literacy. The methodology used was a systematic literature review, supported by the NotebookLM tool, to analyze the available conceptual content. The findings confirm that SF, particularly the subgenre of ecological dystopias, is a very important teaching tool for Environmental Education (EE) in higher education. SF acts as a simulator of futures, encouraging forward thinking and ethical reflection related to sustainability. The incorporation of science fiction as a teaching resource allows for the addressing of socioscientific issues (SSIs) that refer to complex systems, which generates spaces for analysis where students not only understand scientific concepts but also confront them with the social context. Rather than simply transmitting content, this approach favors processes of problematization, argumentation, and stancetaking in the face of contemporary dilemmas related to sustainability and the current state of the planet. In this way, science fiction is understood as a pedagogical and educational resource that contributes to scientific and environmental literacy by stimulating a critical and reflective reading of the present and a projection of possible futures in the context of the current ecological crisis. In addition to promoting understanding of scientific content, this approach fosters changes in students’ awareness by encouraging processes of sensitization to socioenvironmental problems and strengthening their willingness to act and transform reality.