Science, technology, society, and environment ( STSE ) education , comes from the science and community science movement (STS) in science education. This is a view of science education that emphasizes the teaching of scientific and technological developments in their cultural, economic, social and political contexts. In view of this science education, students are encouraged to engage in issues related to the impact of science on everyday life and make responsible decisions about how to solve the problem (Solomon 1993 and Aikenhead 1994)
Video Science, technology, society and environment education
Teknologi sains dan masyarakat (STS)
The STS movement has a long history of science education reform, and embraces various theories about intersection between science, technology, and society (Solomon and Aikenhead, 1994; Pedretti 1997). Over the past twenty years, the work of Peter Fensham, a renowned Australian science educator, is thought to have contributed greatly to reforms in science education. Fensham's efforts include giving STS greater advantage in the school's science curriculum (Aikenhead, 2003). The main purpose behind this effort is to ensure the development of a broad-based science curriculum, embedded in the socio-political and cultural context in which it is formulated. From Fensham's point of view, this means that students will engage with different perspectives on issues concerning the impact of science and technology on everyday life. They will also understand the relevance of scientific discoveries, rather than simply concentrating on learning scientific facts and theories that seem far from their reality (Fensham, 1985 & 1988).
However, although the wheel of change in science education had been driven during the late 1970s, it was not until the 1980s that the STS perspective began to gain a serious foothold in the science curriculum, in the context of much of the West (Gaskell, 1982). This occurs when problems such as, animal testing, environmental pollution and the growing impact of technological innovation on social infrastructure, begin to cause ethical, moral, economic and political dilemmas (Fensham, 1988 and Osborne, 2000). There are also concerns among the research community, educators and government that are associated with a general lack of understanding of the interface between science and society (Bodmer, 1985; Durant et al. 1989 and Millar 1996). Additionally, it is feared by the low level of science literacy among school students, science educators are beginning to grapple with confusion about how to prepare students for informed and active citizens, as well as future scientists, medical experts and engineers (eg Osborne, 2000 and Aikenhead , 2003). Therefore, STS advocacy calls for reforms in science education that will equip students to understand scientific developments in their cultural, economic, political and social contexts. This is considered important in making science accessible and meaningful to all students - and, most significantly, involving them in real-world issues (Fensham, 1985; Solomon, 1993; Aikenhead, 1994 and Hodson 1998).
Maps Science, technology, society and environment education
STS Destination
The main objectives of STS are:
- The interdisciplinary HI approach to science education, where there is a seamless integration between the economic, ethical, social, and political aspects of the development of science and technology in the science curriculum.
- Involve students in examining real-world problems and grounded in scientific knowledge in such a reality. In today's world, such issues may include impacts on society: global warming, genetic engineering, animal testing, deforestation practices, nuclear tests and environmental legislation, such as the EU Waste or Kyoto Protocol.
- Allows students to formulate a critical understanding of the interface between science, society, and technology.
- Develop the capacity and confidence of students to make decisions, and to take responsible action to address problems arising from the impact of science on their daily lives.
STSE Education
There is no uniform definition for STSE education. As mentioned earlier, STSE is a form of STS education, but rather emphasizes the environmental consequences of scientific and technological developments. In the STSE curriculum, scientific developments are explored from various economic, environmental, ethical, moral, social and political perspectives (Kumar and Chubin, 2000 & Pedretti, 2005).
At best, STSE education can be loosely defined as a movement that seeks to bring about an understanding of the interface between science, society, technology, and the environment. The main purpose of the STSE is to help students realize the importance of scientific development in their daily lives and foster an active citizenship voice (Pedretti & Forbes, 2000).
Increase science literacy
Over the last two decades, STSE education has taken a prominent position in the science curriculum from different parts of the world, such as Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States (Kumar & Chubin, 2000). In Canada, the inclusion of STSE perspectives in science education has occurred as a consequence of the Science Learning Outcomes General Framework, Pan Canadian Protocol for Collaboration at School Curriculum (1997) [2]. This document highlights the need to develop science literacy in relation to understanding mutual relationships between science, technology, and the environment. According Osborne (2000) & amp; Hodson (2003), scientific literacy can be felt in four different ways:
- Culture : Develop the capacity to read and understand issues related to science and technology in the media.
- Utilitarian : Have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for a career as a scientist, engineer, or technician.
- Democratize : Broaden the knowledge and understanding of science to include the interface between science, technology, and society.
- Economy : Formulate the knowledge and skills necessary for economic growth and effective competition in global markets.
However, many science teachers find it difficult and even undermine their professional identity to teach STSE as part of science education due to the fact that traditional science focuses on established scientific facts rather than philosophical, political and social problems, the extent to which many educators find to devalue scientific curriculum.
Rationale and goals
In the context of STSE education, the goals of teaching and learning are largely directed at generating cultural and democratic notions of science literacy. Here, STSE educational advocates argue that to broaden students' understanding of science, and better prepare them for an active and responsible citizenship in the future, the scope of science education needs to go beyond learning about scientific theories, facts and technical skills. Therefore, the fundamental goal of STSE education is to equip students to understand and place scientific and technological developments in their cultural, environmental, economic, political and social contexts (Solomon & Aikenhead, 1994; Bingle & Gaskell, 1994; Pedretti 1997 & amp; 2005). For example, rather than learning about the facts and theories of weather patterns, students can explore them in the context of problems such as global warming. They can also debate the environmental, social, economic and political consequences of relevant legislation, such as the Kyoto Protocol. This is thought to provide a richer, more meaningful and relevant canvas to scientific theories and phenomena associated with exploratory weather patterns (Pedretti et al. 2005).
In essence, STSE education aims to develop the following skills and perspectives (Aikenhead, 1994; Pedretti, 1996; Alsop & Hicks, 2001):
- Social responsibility
- Critical thinking and decision making skills
- The ability to formulate sound ethical and moral decisions about problems arising from the impact of science on our daily lives
- Knowledge, skills and beliefs to express opinions and take responsible actions to address real-world problems
Curriculum content
Because STSE education has many facets, there are various ways that can be approached in the classroom. It offers teachers a degree of flexibility, not only in incorporating STSE perspectives into their science teaching, but in integrating other curricular fields such as history, geography, social studies and language arts (Richardson & Blades, 2001). The table below summarizes the different approaches to STSE education described in the literature (Ziman, 1994 & Pedretti, 2005):
Table summary: Curriculum content
STSE education opportunities and challenges
Although STSE educational advocates place great emphasis on science education, they are also aware of the inherent difficulties in its implementation. STSE education opportunities and challenges have been articulated by Hughes (2000) and Pedretti & amp; Forbes, (2000), on five different levels, as described below:
Value & amp; beliefs: The goals of STSE education can challenge the value and beliefs of students and teachers - as well as conventional views, which are culturally embedded in scientific and technological developments. Students get the opportunity to engage, and thoroughly examine the impact of scientific development on their lives from a critical and informed perspective. It helps develop students' analytical and problem-solving abilities, as well as their ability to make informed choices in their daily lives.
As they plan and apply STSE education lessons, teachers need to provide a balanced view of the issues being explored. This allows students to formulate their own thoughts, independently explore other opinions and have the confidence to voice their personal point of view. Teachers also need to develop a safe and non-judgmental classroom environment, and should also be careful not to impose their own values ​​and beliefs on students.
Knowledge & amp; understanding: The interdisciplinary nature of STSE education requires teachers to research and collect information from multiple sources. At the same time, teachers need to develop a good understanding of issues from different disciplines - philosophy, history, geography, social sciences, politics, economics, the environment and science. This is so that students' knowledge base can be precisely coupled to enable them to engage effectively in discussions, debates and decision-making processes.
These ideals create difficulties. Most science teachers have specialized in a particular field of science. Lack of time and resources can affect how deeply teachers and students can examine issues from multiple perspectives. However, a multidisciplinary approach to science education allows students to gain a more unified perspective on the dilemmas, as well as the opportunities, that science is present in our daily lives.
Pedagogical approach: Depending on the teacher's experience and comfort level, pedagogical approaches based on constructivism can be used to stimulate STSE education in the classroom. As illustrated in the table below, the pedagogy used in the STSE classroom needs to bring students through varying levels of understanding to develop their ability and belief to critically examine problems and take responsible action.
Teachers are often faced with the challenge of changing classroom practices from a task-oriented approach to one that focuses on developing students' understanding and transferring agents to learn to students (Hughes, 2000). The table below is a compilation of pedagogical approaches to STSE education described in the literature (eg Hodson, 1998; Pedretti & Forbes 2000; Richardson & Blades 2001):
Project in the STSE field
Science and the City
STSE education refers to holistic ways of knowing, learning, and interacting with science. The new movement in science education has bridged science and technology education with awareness of society and the environment through the exploration of critical places. The Science and City Project, for example, took place during the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 school years involving intergenerational research groups: 36 elementary school students (6th, 7th & 8th grade) worked with their teachers, 6 universities-based researchers, old and community members. The goal is to get together, learn science and technology together, and use this knowledge to provide meaningful experiences that make a difference to the lives of friends, family, communities, and the environment that surrounds the school. Collective experience allows students, teachers and learners to foster imagination, responsibility, collaboration, learning and action. The project has produced a series of publications:
- Alsop, S., & amp; Ibrahim, S. 2008. Visual journey in science education is based on the critical place. In Y-J. Lee & amp; A-K. Tan (Eds.), Science education in nexus theory and practice. Rotterdam: SensePublishers 291-303.
- Alsop, S., & amp; Ibrahim, S. 2007. Looking for Motivational Science: Community, Image and Agency. Alberta Science Education Journal (Special Edition, Shapiro, B. (Ed.) Research and writing in science education that appeal to those new to the profession). 38 (2), 17-24.
Science and the City: A Field Zine
A collective publication, written by joint students, teachers and researchers is a community zine that offers a format to share the possibilities of participatory practice that connect schools with people, locals and places.
- Alsop, S., Ibrahim, S., & amp; Blimkie, M. (Eds.) (2008) Science and the city: A Field Zine. Toronto: Ontario.
[Independent publications written by students and researchers and shared free to the research community, students and parents].
STEPWISE
'STEPWISE' is an acronym for 'Education Science and Technology Promoting Prosperity for Individuals, Communities, and the Environment.' This is a research and development project based on the STEPWISE framework, which integrates the main categories of learning outcomes - including STSE - and connects them all with 'WISE Activism'. In WISE Activism, students use their literacy in science and technology to try to bring improvements to the 'welfare of individuals, communities and the environment' (WISE). Students may, for example, use their knowledge of nutrition and issues related to non-profit food manufacturing, along with data from their own questions to the student's eating habits in the school cafeteria, to lobby school administration to improve the nutritional value of food offered at school.
The STEPWISE framework applies some important educational principles, including:
- Educate all students as best they can;
- Address relationships between different learning domains (e.g., Skills and Education NoST);
- Encourage student self-determination (eg, through science research or a student-led technology design project);
- Provide intern students enabling them to develop skills for knowledge construction, dissemination and use in addressing important personal, social, and environmental issues;
- Educate students about the negative, and positive, aspects of the nature of science and technology and the relationship between them and society and the environment; and,
- Encourage and enable students to take action to address sociocultural issues; which implies that they use their literacy in science and technology (re: STEPWISE elements) to improve the well-being of individuals, communities, and the environment.
Important research objectives/findings are that:
- educators should assist students to develop skills for knowledge construction, dissemination and use in the context of the WISE Problem [3] (ie, issues concerning the well-being of individuals, communities and the environment);
- doing the above may encourage and enable the student to undertake a science investigation and/or technological design project exploring possible WISE Problems; The
- findings of student-oriented projects can serve as a great motivation for addressing WISE Issues; more than from STSE Education, since student-led science research and/or technology design projects give students a personal involvement in the 'phenomena & lt; ---- & gt; representation 'of dialectical relations.
You can learn more about STEPWISE, including how to engage in it, at: [4].
A forum for discussing the problems and actions of STSE (socioscience) is: [5]. This forum contains a journal 'community review'; namely Journal of Activist & amp; Technology Education.
Tokyo Global Engineering Corporation, Japan (and globally)
The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, the website is a useful resource for understanding the purpose and position of the STSE education in the Canadian Curriculum.
- UK Science Curriculum
- USA Science Curriculum Standards
- Australian Science Curriculum
Books
This is an example of available books for information on STS/STSE education, teaching practices in science and problems that can be explored in STS/STSE lessons.
- Alsop S., Bencze L., Pedretti E. (eds), (2005). Analyze the Teaching of Exemplary Science. Theoretical lens and the spectrum of possibilities for practice, Open University Press, Mc Graw-Hill Education
- Gailbraith D. (1997). Analyzing Problems: science, technology, & amp; community. Toronto: Trifolium Books. Inc.
- Homer-Dixon, T. (2001). Ingenuity Gap: Can We Solve Future Problems? (Pub.) Canadian Vintage.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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