ABSTRACT The main objective of this paper is to present teachers with some of the achievements of research on science didactics. First, it shows how the history and epistemology of science, in particular in Chemistry, are contributing to improvements in teaching, considering the inclusion of conceptual and epistemological aspects that facilitate scientific literacy. In particular, examples in building key concepts in school Chemistry are presented, such as the weight of gases, the idea of substance and chemical element. It also warns teachers of some of the critical topics about the nature of science. Secondly, a brief presentation of the major traditions of research on scientific and technological literacy is presented: the conceptual, the sociocultural and critical changes. Finally, some methodological guidelines of learning that have already been successfully used in teaching specific subjects in Physics and Chemistry, such as the oriented research model, are presented. Keywords: science education; history and epistemology of science; scientific and technological literacy; learning as oriented research; Physics and Chemistry teaching.