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Geography and Science Education – revitalizing the dialogue Dr Alun Morgan

Geography and Science Education – revitalizing the dialogue Dr Alun Morgan. 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.

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Geography and Science Education – revitalizing the dialogue Dr Alun Morgan

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  1. Geography and Science Education – revitalizing the dialogue Dr Alun Morgan

  2. 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)

  3. 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 post-compulsory 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

  4. 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).

  5. 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).

  6. 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.

  7. ‘Cultured’? – White, Middle Class (Male) pursuit? Declining popularity marked amongst ethnic minorities – Why? Science Education for Future Scientists? Vs. Science Education for ALL?

  8. Privileging ‘Western’ Science (Education) Is there ... One Scientific Method ... or a plurality of Scientific Methods ... And/or ways of ‘Being & Knowing-in-the-World’ Universal (Western) Science Traditional Ecological Knowledge

  9. Attention to the gender and multicultural dimension of science, the need for inclusion and an acknowledgement of student diversity (including ethnicity, gender, religion and socio-cultural background) has been an important if somewhat marginal strand in science education in the UK. More attention recently Future? (Gove revolution)

  10. 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.

  11. Beyond 2000 & Twenty First Century Science(cf Pilot Geography GCSE etc.)

  12. 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’

  13. Emerging consensus • 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

  14. http://static.arstechnica.com/Science/2009-3-16/science_process_diagram_big.gifhttp://static.arstechnica.com/Science/2009-3-16/science_process_diagram_big.gif

  15. 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.

  16. Source: Claxton, G. (1997), 75

  17. 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)

  18. Socio-Scientific Issues Scientific Literacy Personal and Social/ Moral Development (SMSC, PSD, PLTH) Citizenship

  19. Real World-/ Place-Based- Socio-scientific issues/ Cases Inquiry (individual and collaborative) Moral Education Character/Virtues development Values Clarification Moral reasoning Intercultural dialogue Discourse Dialogic Argumentation

  20. BCP science Non- 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.

  21. i.e.Inquiry Based Science Education& Geographical Enquiry

  22. 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)

  23. 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

  24. 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)

  25. 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

  26. http://www.teachandlearn.net/teachglobal/ http://www.itmakesyouthink.org.uk/index.php

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