Preparing citizens for a complex world : the grand challenge of teaching socio-scientific issues in science education

The dawn of the twenty-first century encouraged a number of scientific and technological organisations to identify what they saw as ‘Grand Challenges and Opportunities’. Issues of environment and health featured very prominently in these quite short lists, as can be seen from a sample of these challenges in Table 1. Indeed, the first two lists of challenges in Table 1 were identified as for the environment and for health, respectively.

The challenge of generic competences to science education

Since 2000 there has been pressure on education systems for develop in students a number of competences that are described as generic. This pressure stems from studies of the changing nature of work in the Knowledge Society that is now so dominant. The DeSeCo project identified a number of these competences, and listed them under the headings of communicative, analytical and personal. They include thinking, creativity, communication skills, knowing how to learn, working in teams, adapting to change, and problem solving. These competences pose a substantial challenge to the manner in which education as a whole, and science education in particular, has hitherto been generally conceived. It is now common to find their importance acknowledged in new formulation of the curriculum. The paper reviews a number of these curriculum documents and how they have tried to relate these competences to the teaching and learning of Science, a subject with its own very specific content for learning. It will be suggested that the challenge provides an opportunity for a reconstruction of the teaching and learning of science in schools that will increase its effectiveness for more students.

International assessments of science learning : their positive and negative contributions to science education

The establishment and continuity of two international comparative assessments of science learning—the IEA’s TIMSS project and the OECD’s PISA project—have meant that there are now high-status reference points for other national and more local approaches to assessing the efficacy of science teaching and learning. Both projects, albeit with very different senses of what the outcome of science learning should be, have contributed positively and negatively to the current state of assessment of school science. The TIMSS project looks back at the science that is commonly included in the curricula of the participating countries. It is thus not about established school science nor about innovations in it. PISA is highly innovative looking, prospectively forward to see how students can use their science learning in everyday life situations. In this chapter some of these positives and negatives are discussed.

Scepticism and trust: two counterpoint essentials in science education for complex socio-scientific issues

In this response to Tom G. K. Bryce and Stephen P. Day’s (Cult Stud Sci Educ. doi:10.1007/s11422-013-9500-0, 2013) original article, I share with them their interest in the teaching of climate change in school science, but I widen it to include other contemporary complex socio-scientific issues that also need to be discussed. I use an alternative view of the relationship between science, technology and society, supported by evidence from both science and society, to suggest science-informed citizens as a more realistic outcome image of school science than the authors’ one of mini-scientists. The intellectual independence of students Bryce and Day assume, and intend for school science, is countered with an active intellectual dependence. It is only in relation to emerging and uncertain scientific contexts that students should be taught about scepticism, but they also need to learn when, and why to trust science as an antidote to the expressions of doubting it. Some suggestions for pedagogies that could lead to these new learnings are made. The very recent fifth report of the IPCC answers many of their concerns about climate change.

A study of the emotional climate of a science education class for pre-service teachers in Bhutan

This thesis studied the emotional climate (EC) of a pre-service science teachers' class in Bhutan. It examined the types of activities students engaged in and the relationship between the tutor and students whose interactions produced both positive and negative EC in the class. The major finding was that the activities involving students' presentations using video clips and models, group activity, and coteaching valenced the class EC positively. Negative EC was identified when the tutor ignored students' responses, during formal lectures, and when the tutor was uncertain of the subject knowledge. The replication of activities that produce positive EC by other Bhutanese tutors may improve the standard of science education in the country.

Changes in teachers’ behaviour in secondary science education : implementing a standards-referenced national curriculum

There is substantial attention worldwide to the quality of secondary school teaching in STEM in Education. This paper reports on the use of Outcome Mapping (OM) as an approach to guide and monitor change in teacher practice and a visual tool, shaped as a Star, to benchmark and monitor this behaviour. OM and the visual tool were employed to guide and document three secondary teachers’ behaviour as they planned, implemented and assessed a science unit in the new Australian standards-referenced curriculum. Five key outcome markers in the teachers’ behaviour were identified together with progress markers — cumulative qualitative indicators — leading to these outcomes. The use of a Star to benchmark and track teachers’ behaviours was particularly useful because it showed teacher behaviour on multiple dimensions simultaneously at various points in time. It also highlighted priorities in need of further attention and provided a pathway to achievement. Hence, OM and the Star representation provide both theoretical and pragmatic approaches to enhancing quality in STEM teaching.

Curriculum movements in science education

"The Latin meaning of the word “curriculum” as the race course for athletic sports is a good place to start to describe the use of this word in science education. It conjures up senses of contest and of challenge that have been part of the science curriculum since its earliest beginnings in schooling. Curriculum also had a Latin meaning associating it with the “deeds and events for developing a child to an adult” that also finds resonance in how the teaching and learning of science has in some places and some occasions been conceived. It is this sense of the prescription of an intended curriculum – what is to be taught and learnt in science – that this entry discusses the science curriculum’s movement over time. Others in education, and indeed in science education, use the word “curriculum” much more widely to include the pedagogies in classroom practice, the many other explicit and implicit experiences that ..."--Publisher website

Climate change, sustainability and science education

The world and its peoples are facing multiple, complex challenges and we cannot continue as we are (Moss, 2010). Earth‘s “natural capital” - nature‘s ability to provide essential ecosystem services to stabilize world climate systems, maintain water quality, support secure food production, supply energy needs, moderate environmental impacts, and ensure social harmony and equity – is seriously compromised (Gough, 2005; Hawkins, Lovins & Lovins, 1999). To further summarize, current rates of resource consumption by the global human population are unsustainable (Kitzes, Peller, Goldfinger & Wackernagel, 2007) for human and non-human species, and for future generations. Further, continuing growth in world population and global political commitment to growth economics compounds these demands. Despite growing recognition of the serious consequences for people and planet, little consideration is given, within most nations, to the social and environmental issues that economic growth brings. For example, Australia is recognised as one of the developed countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Yet, to date, responses (such as carbon pricing) have been small-scale, fragmented, and their worth disputed, even ridiculed. This is at a time referred to as ‘the critical decade’ (Hughes & McMichael, 2011) when the world’s peoples must make strong choices if we are to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

Beyond Science Education: Embedding sustainability in teacher education systems

This chapter will report on a study that sought to develop a systemwide approach to embedding education for sustainability (EfS (the preferred term in Australia) in teacher education. The strategy for a coordinated and coherent systemic approach involved identifying and eliciting the participation of key agents of change within the‘teacher education system’ in one state in Australia, Queensland. This consisted of one representative from each of the eight Queensland universities offering pre-service teacher education, as well as the teacher registration authority, the key State Government agency responsible for public schools, and two national professional organisations. Part of the approach involved teacher educators at different universities developing an institutional specific approach to embedding sustainability education within their teacher preparation programs. Project participants worked collaboratively to facilitate policy and curriculum change while the project leaders used an action research approach to inform and monitor actions taken and to provide guidance for subsequent actions to effect change simultaneously at the state, institutional and course levels. In addition to the state-wide multi-site case study, which we argue has broader applications to national systems in other countries, the chapter will include two institutional level case studies of efforts to embed sustainability in science teacher education.

An introduction to science education in rural Australia

Here's a challenge. Try searching Google for the phrase 'rural science teachers' in Australian web content. Surprisingly, my attempts returned only two hits, neither of which actually referred to Australian teachers. Searches for 'rural science education' fare little better. On this evidence one could be forgiven for wondering whether the concept of a rural science teacher actually exists in the Australian consciousness. OK, so Google is not (yet) the arbiter of our conceptions, and to be fair, there aren't many hits for 'urban science teacher' either. The point I'm making is that in Australia we don't tend to conceptualise science teachers or science education as rural or urban. As a profession we are quite mobile, and throughout our careers many of us have worked in both city and country schools. But that's not to say that rural science teaching isn't conceptually or practically different to teaching in the city.

Teacher quality in upper secondary science education in Australia

Science education has been the subject of increasing public interest over the last few years. While a good part of this attention has been due to the fundamental reshaping of school curricula and teacher professional standards currently underway, there has been a heightened level of critical media commentary about the state of science education in schools and science teacher education in universities. In some cases, the commentary has been informed by sound evidence and balanced perspectives. More recently, however, a greater degree of ignorance and misrepresentation has crept into the discourse. This chapter provides background on the history and status of science teacher education in Australia, along with insights into recent developments and challenges.

Extreme science and engineering : a higher education widening participation initiative at QUT

The QUT Extreme Science and Engineering program provides free hands-on workshops to schools, presented by scientists and engineers to students from prep to year 12 in their own classrooms. The workshops are tied to the school curriculum and give students access to professional quality instruments, helping to stimulate their interest in science and engineering, with the aim of generating a greater take up of STEM related subjects in the senior high school years. In addition to engaging students in activities, workshop presenters provide role models of both genders, helping to breakdown preconceived ideas of the type of person who becomes a scientist or engineer and demystifying the university experience. The Extreme Science and Engineering vans have been running for 10 years and as such demonstrate a sustainable and reproducible model for schools engagement. With funding provided through QUT’s Widening Participation Equity initiative (HEPPP funded) the vans which averaged 120 school visits each year has increased to 150+ visits in 2010. Additionally 100+ workshops (hands-on and career focused) have been presented to students from low socio-economic status schools, on the three QUT campuses in 2011. While this is designed as a long-term initiative the short term results have been very promising, with 3000 students attending the workshops in the first six months and teacher and students feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Exploring emotional climate in preservice science teacher education

Classroom emotional climates are interrelated with students’ engagement with university courses. Despite growing interest in emotions and emotional climate research, little is known about the ways in which social interactions and different subject matter mediate emotional climates in preservice science teacher education classes. In this study we investigated the emotional climate and associated classroom interactions in a preservice science teacher education class. We were interested in the ways in which salient classroom interactions were related to the emotional climate during lessons centered on debates about science-based issues (e.g., nuclear energy alternatives). Participants used audience response technology to indicate their perceptions of the emotional climate. Analysis of conversation for salient video clips and analysis of non-verbal conduct (acoustic parameters, body movements, and facial expressions) supplemented emotional climate data. One key contribution that this study makes to preservice science teacher education is to identify the micro-processes of successful and unsuccessful class interactions that were associated with positive and neutral emotional climate. The structure of these interactions can inform the practice of other science educators who wish to produce positive emotional climates in their classes. The study also extends and explicates the construct of intensity of emotional climate.

Vocational education in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) : Curriculum innovation through school industry partnerships

Governments have recognised that the technological trades rely on knowledge embedded traditionally in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. However, there is substantial evidence that students are turning away from these subjects in schools because the school curriculum is seen as irrelevant, with clear implications for not just vocational education but also higher education. In this paper, we report preliminary findings on the development of two curricula that attempt to integrate science and mathematics with workplace knowledge and practices. We argue that these curricula provide educational opportunities for students to pursue their preferred career pathways. These curricula were co-developed by industry and educational personnel across three industry sectors, namely, mining industry, aerospace and wine tourism. The aim was to provide knowledge appropriate for students moving from school to the workplace as trade apprentices in the respective industries. The analysis of curriculum and associated policy documents reveals that the curricula adopt applied learning orientations through teaching strategies and assessment practices which focus on practical skills. However, although key theoretical science and maths concepts have been well incorporated, the extent to which knowledge deriving from workplace practices is included varies across the curricula. The extent to which applications of concepts are included in the models depends on a number of factors not least the relevant expertise of the teacher as a practitioner in the industry. Our findings highlight the importance of teachers having substantial practical industry experience and the role that whole school policies play in attempts to align the range of learning experiences with the needs of industry.

Vocational education in science technology, engineering and maths (STEM) : Curriculum innovation through industry school partnerships

Governments have recognised that the technological trades rely on knowledge embedded traditionally in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. In this paper, we report preliminary findings on the development of two curricula that attempt to integrate science and mathematics with workplace knowledge and practices. We argue that these curricula provide educational opportunities for students to pursue their preferred career pathways. These curricula were co-developed by industry and educational personnel across two industry sectors, namely, mining and aerospace. The aim was to provide knowledge appropriate for students moving from school to the workplace in the respective industries. The analysis of curriculum and associated policy documents reveals that the curricula adopt applied learning orientations through teaching strategies and assessment practices which focus on practical skills. However, although key theoretical science and maths concepts have been well incorporated, the extent to which knowledge deriving from workplace practices is included varies across the curricula. Our findings highlight the importance of teachers having substantial practical industry experience and the role that whole school policies play in attempts to align the range of learning experiences with the needs of industry.