Transcript Alun Morgan - Geography and Science Education

Trend, R. (1995) Geography and Science: Forging Links at Key Stage 3, Sheffield: GA
(work of GA’s Geography/Science Working Party 1987-1995: inception/revision of NC)
Contemporary Societal-Educational Context
• the rise of the so called ‘GEES’ (Geography, Environmental and Earth
Sciences) family of subjects at HE; and the acknowledgement of
Geography as a ‘part-STEM’ (Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics subject) by HEFCE with the potentially enhanced status
this entails;
• (behind above) enhanced social relevance due to Sustainable
Development, Global Climate Change, Biodiversity (loss) etc.
• the shared challenges faced by both subjects at school- and postcompulsory levels in terms of engagement, relevance and recruitment;
• the obvious synergies in terms of both pedagogy and content
constellating around:
– ‘geosciences’
– ‘complex socio-scientific issues’ and their (potential) contribution to ‘(Global)
Citizenship Education’ /‘Scientific/Sustainability Literacy’/ESD
• (more) Curriculum change and (new space for)
innovative/collaborative Curriculum Making
Contemporary issues in Science Education – UK
& Europe (& World?)
Generally, attitudes become less positive as schooling progresses
and school science is not often identified as a favourite core
school subject despite the fact that students often reveal a
positive attitude to science per se.
Simon and Osborne suggest that
“this gulf is due to the message presented by school science,
which situates science as a value-free, detached activity unrelated
to any societal context that would give it meaning or relevance – a
view which is characterized by the notion that ‘science is
important, but not for me’”
(Simon and Osborne 2010, 247).
Gendered ?
Declining popularity marked amongst females – Why?
‘masculinity’ of science (education), meaning not (merely) visible
over-representation of males, but the overlap between models of
‘rationality’, models of science and models of masculinity
this does not mean that girls are not attracted to science but that
they take a different approach to science from boys (Haste 2004)
“in its present form, science appears to be constructed as too
feminized for (many) boys and too masculine for (many) girls”
(Archer et al. 2010, 636).
Looking specifically at geosciences, Trend (2005) found that
“children have high interest in major geo-events set in the geological
past, present and future and in current environmental changes
which have direct implications for the future of humanity” (271).
However, he did note a gender difference: “Girls have a preference for
phenomena perceived as aesthetically pleasing and boys have a
preference for the extreme and catastrophic” (271).
These findings were confirmed in a small scale study undertaken by
Hetherington (2010) who also noted a worrying possibility that
teaching students about earth sciences as currently practiced might
actually be counterproductive in terms of student engagement.
‘Cultured’? – White, Middle Class (Male)
pursuit?
Declining popularity marked amongst
ethnic minorities – Why?
Science Education for Future Scientists?
Vs.
Science Education for ALL?
Privileging
‘Western’ Science (Education)
Is there ... One Scientific Method
... or a plurality of Scientific Methods
... And/or ways of ‘Being & Knowing-in-the-World’
Attention to the gender and multicultural
dimension of science, the need for inclusion
and an acknowledgement of student diversity
(including ethnicity, gender, religion and sociocultural background) has been an important if
somewhat marginal strand in science
education in the UK.
More attention recently
Future? (Gove revolution)
• The general pattern of science curricula is to start with
teaching basic concepts that are returned to later in
more depth. However, as a result of this curriculum,
the experience of the students can be of a series of
separate ideas lacking relevance to their concerns or
any real-world context. The reasons for what they are
learning is seldom apparent to students.
• few links made to the real life science issues that often
dominate the news and touch the everyday reality of
students.
• an over-reliance on a pedagogy of transmission and
copying.
Beyond 2000 &
Twenty First Century Science
(cf Pilot Geography GCSE etc.)
Scientific Literacy
According to Lederman and Lederman (2011)
there are three dimensions to scientific
literacy:
– an understanding of the subject matter of science;
– the ‘Nature of Science’ (NOS) and
– ‘scientific inquiry’
Emerging consensus
•
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Nature of Science (NOS)/’How Science Works’
‘Inquiry Based Science Education’ (IBSE)
Teaching controversial issues
Argumentation
Questioning
Investigative science
Information and Communication Technology
Teaching science outside the classroom
http://static.arstechnica.com/Science/2009-3-16/science_process_diagram_big.gif
Scientific Literacy
Roberts (2007) makes the distinction between two contrasting
visions of SL:
• Vision I:
– is inward looking and is oriented towards the scientific
disciplines themselves
– is concerned with training future scientists
• Vision II:
– is outward oriented and much broader in scope
– is concerned with setting science within its socio-cultural
context and is concerned with economic, political and ethical
dimensions of science
– is generally concerned with science education for citizenship
which is considered to be relevant for all students regardless of
whether or not they will choose to become scientists.
Source: Claxton, G. (1997), 75
Controversial Socio-scientific issue
(aka ‘reasonable disagreements’ (Levinson 2006)
Type A – ‘singular’
Controversial Social impact
Uncontroversial (well established, consensual) science
Type B – ‘double’
Controversial Social impact
Controversial ‘science-in-the-making’
(Ratcliffe and Grace 2003)
Socio-Scientific
Issues
Personal and Social/
Moral Development
(SMSC, PSD, PLTH)
Scientific
Literacy
Citizenship
Real World-/
Place-BasedSocio-scientific issues/
Cases
Moral Education
Character/Virtues development
Values Clarification
Moral reasoning
Intercultural dialogue
Inquiry
(individual and collaborative)
Discourse
Dialogic
Argumentation
Non- BCP science
the so-called ‘Big Three’ (core sciences of
Biology, Chemistry, Physics).
how the science curriculum could be innovated
by integrating non-Core science subjects i.e.
less familiar and marginal science subjects and
related career paths including:
environmental and earth sciences; psychology;
astronomy; electronics; archaeology;
meteorology; and forensic science.
i.e.
Inquiry Based Science Education
&
Geographical Enquiry
Shared Challenges – research potential
Teacher Knowledge/Skills (confidence and/or commitment)
Subject knowledge:
In-depth knowledge of the ‘socio-science’ involved
Pedagogical knowledge
learning objectives, teaching strategies etc.
developmental appropriateness
Pedagogical content knowledge
Socio-scientific issue ↔ teaching and learning strategies selection
Professional ethical knowledge
Generic (knowledge about ethical practice)
Subject-specific (moral/ethical dimensions of the issue)
Pedagogical perspective on Moral Development
(adapted from Lederman 2003)
Shared Challenges – research potential
Students’ (... And Teachers’!)
Epistemological Orientations and Development
• Conceptual Change (from Children’s or ‘naive-’, mis-conceptions to
‘science/geography proper’[?])
Reasoning and/or emotions; individual and/or social
• Thinking Skills, Reasoning , Argumentation and Decision Making (critical, creative,
caring)
• interest and motivation (e.g. environmental and global issues; ‘in the media’)
• Continuation , Progression and Developmental appropriateness
• Evaluation and Assessment
Challenges – research potential
Pluralism, Diversity and Inclusion and Public Understanding of Science/Geography
(how to address within ...)
• classroom
• home locality
• Region
• Nation
• International
• Global
Science/Geography teacher (students?) as:
‘cultural broker’/’border crosser’
(Aikenhead 2004)
‘public intellectual’
(Weaver 2007)
Controversial Socio-scientific issue, Education for
Scientific Literacy and Citizenship
Initiatives
• Service Learning
• Place-Based Science Education
• Action Research and Community Problem Solving
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Community Knowledge/Street Science
http://www.teachandlearn.net/teachglobal/
http://www.itmakesyouthink.org.uk/index.php