Transcript Global Climate Change International Collaborations through STEM

Global Climate Change International
Collaborations through STEM and EE
Teddie Phillipson-Mower, UofL
Laurie Henry, UK
“…we are failing in our duties to the young, not
least because we are failing to equip them to
deal with the consequences of what we are
leaving behind.” (David Orr, Earth in Mind, p.
xiii)
THE PROBLEM(S)
Global problems requires global participation for
solutions; Climate change is a global problem
 The US, China, and India account for the majority
of the consumption and are the least cooperative
 A large percentage of the US public do not
“believe” that climate change is happening, or if it
is, it is a natural phenomena not anthropogenic,
and that there is little scientific consensus.

THE PROBLEM(S)
The general public does not understand basic
science concepts and what science is and how
it is done (NOS)
 Continuation of outdated traditional delivery of
knowledge (free from politicization and civic
engagement) is a recipe for more of the same.

PURPOSE

To discuss the importance of educational policy
in STEM and EE to move to a more global,
international perspective to support a
comprehensive understanding of the
complexities of climate change.
THE LANDSCAPE OF PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS
Moser (2008)
Public awareness of global warming
 39% (1986); increasing through 1990s; ~80
(early 2000s), and 90% (2006)
 Variability across polls attributed to media
related attention
 Little awareness of Kyoto Protocol and other
policy through 2008
LANDSCAPE OF PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS
Moser (2008) cont.
US Public understanding of global warming
 few are confident that they understand the complexities
 22% (2007 Gallop poll) stated they understood global
warming issues “very well.” (highest % in polls)
 Questions designed to measure content show low
understanding and many misconceptions. In the July
2007 poll, 57% stated global warming was mostly
caused by human activities, 30% by natural causes and
12% from both.
LANDSCAPE OF US PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS
Scientific consensus (Moser, 2007)
 Significant variability in polls about consensus
among scientists.
 Agreement with, “most scientists believe that
global warming is occurring” was 28% in 1994 and
65% in 2006.
 Differences between scientists and non-scientists
responders in the US are increasing
(Strengthening of scientific evidence; increased
efforts to instill doubt in general public by those
who benefit; and media stories)
LANDSCAPE OF US PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS
Public concern about impacts
 Worry varies with media cycles of reporting and
competition
 65% (2007 Gallop poll) worried “a great deal” and
“a fair amount which was only 2% higher than in
1989.
 62% (2006) answered “no” to, “Do you think that
global warming will pose a threat to you or your
way of life in your lifetime. Most people don’t see
it as a personal threat in their lifetime.
THE LANDSCAPE OF PUBLIC PERCEPTION
US public support for public policy
 Favored an “act now” instead of a “wait and see”
in 2008 after years of varied responses
 Economic strength and competing priorities are
main factors.
 Favor action that does not involve personal costs
(mandatory emission-limiting regulations,
renewable energy source research, and incentives
for energy purchases instead of tax increases and
electricity
DISPARATE TRENDS BETWEEN SCIENTISTS AND
NON-SCIENTISTS (WEBER AND STERN, 2011)
As scientists have accumulated evidence and
strengthened their understanding of climate
change, the public has become greatly divided
(IPCC, 2007; National Research Council, 2010)
 In Pew Research Center poll (2009), 49% of
nonscientists and 84% of scientists agreed with
the statement, “the earth is getting warmer
because of human activity such as burning of
fossil fuel.” Since this time there is an even
greater increase in this gap

The Great Divide – Liberal/Conservative
Democratic/Republicans
•Different
ways in which scientists
and non scientists come to
understand the natural world
•Content understanding
•What science is and how it is done.
(Nature of Science)
Scientists - methods that guard
against over generalities and as
much personal bias as possible.
•Physical
phenomena are complex
and difficult to understand
•Psychological factors – reliance on
personal experience and anecdotal
information. False mental models
•Social factors - seek expert
information from intermediary
sources
WHY? (WEBER AND STERN, 2011)
Is Climate Change A Problem?
World Bank (2010). Retrieved on July 12, 2011 from:
http://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/who-earth-cares-about-climate-change
Deal with climate change even if it means slower
economic growth
World Bank (2010). Retrieved on July 12, 2011 from: http://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/whoearth-cares-about-climate-change
TEACHER PERSPECTIVES?
Lederman et. al (2001)
1.
Tentative
2.
Subjective
3.
Empirical
4.
Socially and culturally embedded
5.
Creative and imaginative
There is a difference between
6.
Scientific theory and law
7.
Observation and inference
Alchin (2011)
Suggests an alternative to VNOS
•
Questions about current cases in
the news
•
Scoring how “well informed” the
response is (NOS)
•
From declarative statements to
interpretive
•
Reframing from selective “list” to
“Whole Science”
NATURE OF SCIENCE
GLOBAL (INTERNATIONAL) EDUCATION
“Think globally. Act locally.”
Five reasons why the local is globally important. (Orr, 2004)
1.
We are inescapably place based “creatures”
(landscape/mindscape)
2.
Environmental movement grew out of efforts to protect a
place
3.
Problems that occur all over the world are not necessarily
global problem – we need a locally relevant solution
4.
“Purely a global focus” blurs real people living in real places
5.
A global economy doesn’t have much of a chance to be
environmentally sustainable
THE PARTNERSHIP FOR 21ST CENTURY SKILLS (2009)
EMPHASIZES THE FOLLOWING MAIN GOALS:
 Support
professional learning communities that
enable educators to collaborate, share best
practices and integrate 21st century skills into
classroom practice
 Enable students to learn in relevant, real world 21st
century contexts (e.g. through project-based or
other applied work)
 Support expanded community and international
involvement in learning, both face-to-face and
online
www.p21.org
NEW LITERACIES
21ST CENTURY LITERACIES

Reading, writing and communicating within
Internet-based environments
 Leu,
Kinzer, Coiro, & Cammack, 2004
 Lankshear & Knobel, 2004
 Coiro, Knobel, Lankshear, & Leu, 2009
 The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2006
FRAMEWORK FOR 21ST CENTURY SKILLS
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Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
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Communication & Collaboration
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Technology
Team building
21st Century Themes
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Reason effectively
Use systems thinking
Make judgments/decisions
Solve problems
Global Awareness
Environmental Literacy
Civic Literacy
Social Responsibility
RECOMMENDATIONS
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Preservice teacher education should include at least one course in
interdisciplinary and research practices with training in teaching for
critical evaluation and systems thinking (21st Century Skills)
All undergraduates should receive training and experience in multiple
investigations in which expectations go beyond a simple hypothesis.
This has been shown to increase NOS understanding and intellectual
and ethical development (Phillipson-Mower, 2005). This could be
incorporated into a mandatory Sustainability 101 course as part of
the core curriculum in higher education
Incentives and training in higher education for faculty to co-develop,
teach and assess interdisciplinary courses with service learning
components.
More emphasis on organismal biology, natural history, and ecological
literacy to balance the current swing on the side of reductionism
Inclusion of global perspective of the interconnectedness of local
communities (local to global/global to local)
Service – learning and other authentic participation opportunities
offer psychological adjustment to what could be considered negative
information as well as learning