This paper discusses aspects related to the discursive change that is occurring in the field of science education, in which the purpose of citizenship assumes a central position. With the purpose of identifying and situating the tensions inherent to these changes and the different perspectives on citizenship, the relations established in the governmental regulation actions of school science textbooks production are discussed. Analyses were based on a Critical Discourse Analysis framework, and performed on excerpts obtained from the evaluation guidebook produced for public schools. Results point to a re-contextualization of the debates on science and citizenship performed in the field of science education research within the texts. The debates are re-contextualized, adopting a communicative strategy typical of the educational reforms, based on ruptures and replacements, which removes the tensions inherent to social change.
Science education; Citizenship; Discourse; Science textbook; Programa Nacional do Livro Didático