Current Issues in Environmental and Science Education Research

1. Current Issues in Environmental and Science Education Research David F Treagust ICRIEMS 2014

2. A Digression Current Issues in Environ. & Sci. Edn Research PermantapanKerja Guru (PKG)—strengthening the work of teachers—approach to in-service teacher development in Indonesia for science teachers. Inducted science teachers into using student-centred learning that encouraged open communication with students and their active participation in classroom and laboratory activities. During the 1980s and 1990s, the PKG project funded by the World Bank was the single largest teacher professional development program in the world 4 weeks in Indonesia in 1990 and 1991 working on the PKG Project Jakarta in 1997 – a project with an Indonesian Private Universities Consortium – to improve teaching approaches Salatiga – SatyaWacana Christian University - 1990

3. A Digression Current Issues in Environ. & Sci. Edn Research Thair, M. & Treagust, D. F. (2003). A brief history of science teacher professional development initiative in Indonesia and the implications for centralised teacher development. International Journal of Educational Development, 23, 201-213. Thair, M. & Treagust, D. F (1997). A review of teacher development reforms in Asian secondary science: The effectiveness of practical work in biology. Research in Science Education, 27, 581-597. Irianto, B. & Treagust, D. F. (1989). The use of practical work and difficulties of physics teachers in Indonesia. Journal of Science and Mathematics Education in Southeast Asia, 12 (1), 50-58. Wahyudi & Treagust, D. F. (2006). Science education in Indonesia: A classroom learning environment perspective. In D. Fisher & M S Khine (Eds.). Contemporary approaches to research on learning environment worldviews (pp. 221-246). Hackensack, NJ/Singapore: World Scientific. Wahyudi& Treagust, D. F. (2004). An investigation of science teaching practices in Indonesian rural secondary schools. Research in Science Education, 34, 455-474. Wahyudi & Treagust, D. F (2004). The status of the science classroom learning environment in Indonesian lower secondary schools. Learning Environment Research, 7(1), 43-63. Treagust, D. F. & Paulus, G. (1990). An investigation of electrical and magnetic concepts held by students who enter the physics stream of senior secondary school in Kupang. Indonesian Association of Physicists - Jogyakarta branch, Salatiga, Indonesia, August.

4. Forty years (1975-2014) of unprecedented developments in research in science education and environmental education • Increased International Professional Activity • Output of Publications in Science Education from an Increasingly Wider Range of Nations • Increasing Professional Development Initiatives • More Relevant Science Education and Assessment • Concerns for Inclusivity in Science Education • Diversity in Research in Science Education • Research on the Status of Science Teaching

5. 1. Increased International Professional Activity in Science Education Research • Established Annual Meetings • NARST - National Association for Research in Science Teaching - established in 1928 • ASERA - Australasian Science Education Research Association - established in 1970 • GDCP - German Physical Science Education Research Association - established in 1971 • IOSTE - International Organisation for Science and Technology Education - established in 1979 • History and Philosophy of Science Assoc. - established 1988 • ESERA- European Science Education Research Association -established 1995 • Now numerous Science Education Research Conferences and Meetings in a Wide Range of Locations

6. 1. Increased International Professional Activity - Large scale assessments and international comparisons • Studies involving many nations are designed to investigate reading, scientific and mathematical literacy • Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) • Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) • PISA is a different approach to TIMSS, looking at reading, scientific and mathematical literacy • Search for more in-depth (comparative) information • Nation-wide programs in many countries to increase the efficiency of science and mathematics education • Often controversies about findings

7. 2. Output of Publications in Science Education from an Increasingly Wider Range of Nations • Increasing willingness for nationals of non-English countries to write and present in English – especially from countries previously less active on the international scene – demands for promotion • Increasing interest in the findings from science education research by physicists, chemists, biologists and engineers – university requirements to improve the quality of teaching • An increasing willingness to consider alternative forms of assessment in schooling – administrative demands and student focus • The rise of STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics • At university level in science and engineering, awareness of what colleagues in science education have to offer and a willingness to be innovative

8. 2. Output of Publications in Science Education from an Increasingly Wider Range of Nations • Established Journals in the English Language • Journal of Research in Science Teaching • Science Education • International Journal of Science Education • Research in Science Education • Science & Education • Research in Science and Technology Education • School Science and Mathematics • Studies in Science Education • The Journal of Environmental Education • Environmental Educator

9. 2. Output of Publications in Science Education from an Increasingly Wider Range of Nations • Newer Journals Classroom Environments: An International Journal (1997) American Journal of Physics (Physics Education edition) (1998) Canadian Journal of Science, Maths and Technology Education (2001) Journal of Science Education (Revista De Educacion En Ciencias) (2002) - articles in English and Spanish International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education (2003) International Journal of Environmental and Science Education (2005) Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (2004)

10. 2. Output of Publications in Science Education from an Increasingly Wider Range of Nations Current Issues in Environ. & Sci. Edn Research • Some statistics for International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education • Why discuss this journal?

11. Submission from English Speaking Countries Countries included: Australia, Canada, Singapore, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand, UK, and USA

12. Submission by Country from 2011-2013

13. 3. Increasing Professional Development Initiatives • Initiatives to look at reflect impact of research on practice • Coalition of professional societies, employers and universities – ICASE, Australian Government’s Office of Teaching and Learning • Increasing roles of science teachers' associations – offering professional development – linked to government goals • Recognition of the importance of good materials -curricula, teachers’ guides, educational documents – Australian national curriculum • Professional Development as a way of introducing teachers to research findings – teachers conducting action research • Need for extensive research on the required professional development – one-off activities do not provide useful outcomes

14. 4. Calls for More Relevant Science Education Curricula and Assessment • In most nations, increasing numbers of students staying on beyond compulsory leaving age • Consistent calls for a curriculum to provide appropriate science education – context-oriented science, ChemCom, Chemie in Kontext • Interest in scientific literacy and assessment - at all levels of formal schooling and beyond • Need to consider and compare different school systems for effective examples • Issues related to concerns for inclusivity in science education – teacher preparation, duty of care, safety • Assessment demands change – need for teacher inservice

15. 5. Concerns for Inclusivity in Science Education • A key issue is the place of science in society • Bilingual and multilingual classrooms - for example, Spanish speakers in mainstream US classrooms; changes in the medium of instruction • Non-mainstream students - those with disabilities of different kinds - a growing concern and a somewhat controversial issue • Previous concerns about the low participation of girls in science and mathematics • Recent concerns about the decreasing participation of boys in science and mathematics • Immigration and learning science - an issue receiving insufficient attention

16. 6. Diversity in Research in Science Education • Science education research is characterised by the issues addressed • Research methods draw on perspectives from philosophy, psychology, sociology, history, anthropology, economics • Science education is not one research paradigm - there is too much disagreement at a fundamental level • Paradigms are broadly categorised as post-positivist designs, ethnographic and critical theory • Mixed methods are a recent pragmatic approach to conducting research • Increasing acceptance of alternative genres of science education research with their own strengths and weaknesses • Case studies; Narrative accounts; First person accounts

17. 6. Diversity in Research in Science Education Past decades research concerned with • Teacher education – preservice, inservice, field experiences, action research • Teaching – teachers’ pedagogical knowledge, teacher cognition, forms of knowledge representation • Learning – conceptual change, classroom contexts, instructional approaches, students’ alternative conceptions, classroom learning environments. • Curriculum evaluation and assessment – alternative forms of assessment, teacher evaluation, identifying effective schools Tsai, C-C, & Wen M l (2005). International Journal of Science Education, 27(1), 3-14 Lin, T-C, Lin, T-J, & Tsai, C-C (2014). International Journal of Science Education, 36(8),1346-1372.

18. 6. Diversity in Research in Science Education Current Issues in Environ. & Sci. Edn Research Cultural, social and gender issues – social scientific issues, multicultural and bilingual issues, History, philosophy, epistemology and nature of science – nature of science, ethical and moral issues Educational technology – computers is schools, on-line resources, laptops, learning and assessment with technology Informal settings – museums, field trips, public awareness of science Tsai, C-C, & Wen M l (2005). International Journal of Science Education, 27(1), 3-14 Lin, T-C, Lin, T-J, & Tsai, C-C (2014). International Journal of Science Education, 36(8),1346-1372.

19. Specifically about Environmental Education Current Issues in Environ. & Sci. Edn Research An evolving area of activity with challenges Professionalising the field Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Deveolpment Climate change Marcinkowski, T. J. (2010). The Journal of Environmental Education, 41(1), 34-54

20. 7. Research on the Status of Science Teaching • In western nations, status of science teaching is declining • Science teaching no longer a career of first choice • Concerns about the ageing science teachers workforce • Lack of well qualified pool of people for science teaching • Problems with replacing current teachers- concerted action in some countries to address this • Problems with teacher career structure • Comparisons with Finland

21. Areas in need of research • A greater understanding of the relationships between policy and practice - and a realistic expectation of what research can contribute to practice • Expansion of cross-national research collaboration– but need a strong rationale • Multidimensionality of learning -epistemological, ontological and affective/motivational perspectives • Scientific literacy - from a language point of view and from a science point of view • Assessment - authentic, formative, summative • Relationship between multidimensional nature of learning and the characteristics of the science content