DIGITAL DIVIDE AND SCIENTIFIC LITERACY IN LATIN AMERICA: TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS FOR EQUITABLE EDUCATION

Abstract

Science literacy has become a core competence for the training of citizens capable of facing the challenges of the 21st century, Given the need to use available scientific knowledge for solving the difficulties that changing realities pose to citizens. However, this training process is interrupted by the persistence of the digital divide, as although there is greater access to knowledge through digital media, The marked inequality in the societies of the countries of the Latin American region is an obstacle that prevents the use of technological tools that serve to enhance learning, be exploited by all inhabitants of the region. This article analyzes the impact of the digital divide on the teaching process of scientific concepts and how the implementation of technological innovations that have been developed and implemented in recent years, combined with the issuance of inclusive public policies, can promote a more equitable education that meets the needs of individuals and society in Latin America. To achieve this objective, a documentary review of recognized academic sources such as Dialnet, Scielo, Redalyc, Google Scholar, and doctoral theses hosted in institutional repositories was carried out. This allows the collection of the necessary information to demonstrate that, thanks to the integration of digital resources arising from technological innovations, the difficulties derived from technological inequality and the need to strengthen teacher training can be minimized, as well as the formulation of public policies that guide educational systems toward equitable and innovative scientific education as demanded by 21st-century society.