Environmental education and the science of ecology: exploration of an uneasy relationship

While modern science is receiving harsh criticism within the framework of environmental education, at the same time ecology is presented as an alternative science, characterized as ‘holistic’ and ‘non‐exploitative’. However, many of the characteristics of the science of ecology do not comply with its characterization as alternative science. Furthermore, ecology is a science with competing paradigms, provisional theories, incommensurable worldviews, and extensive theoretical and methodological debates. The treatment of the science of ecology in environmental education is not taking into account the relevant evidence, resulting in a quite strong positivistic and dogmatic educational approach. The importance of approaches that comply more with a post‐positivistic account of education are discussed in the light of the possible contribution of environmental education to science education discourse.     

情感教育的科学依据与实现路径的探讨

情感教育不仅是一个理论问题，而且是一个迫切的实践问题。文章试图依据当代脑科学的成果探讨情感教育的科学依据，并根据多年的教学经验及切身体会，对高校中国古代文学教学中如何突出情感教育的问题展开较为充分的论述，以探讨情感教育实现的路径。     

康德的实践教育学:在“理想”与“科学”之间

康德是伟大的教育学家,他的教育学对后世产生了深远的影响。在康德那里,就教育学的性质而言,教育学是基于实践哲学的实践教育学,没有实践哲学作为根基,也就没有教育学的存在。这一实践教育学又在"理想"与"科学"之间。教育学是"理想",主要体现在康德基于人的所有向善禀赋的完全实现上,而这一实现又只能通过"类的教育"而不能通过"个别的教育",由此康德的教育学具有了一种世界主义的理想色彩。教育学是"科学",主要体现在康德对教育实验、教育方法论的强调,以及对机械的教育学说的批判当中。不过,康德的整全的"人性观"又使得他的"科学"不是严格的"实验科学"。     

Research into higher education: an a‐theoretical community of practice?

A database of 406 articles published in 2000 in 17 specialist higher education journals, based outside North America, is analysed in terms of whether a theoretical perspective is adopted. In the majority of cases, any theoretical perspective is only implicit, and broader engagement with theory is absent. Where theory is explicit, the authors appear more likely to be based in a social science department or academic development unit, rather than an education department or higher education research centre. The implications of this analysis for the development of higher education research as an interdisciplinary field of study are explored.     

The place of practical wisdom in science education: what can be learned from Aristotelian ethics and a virtue-based theory of knowledge

This conceptual paper aims to characterize science teachers’ practical knowledge utilizing a virtue-based theory of knowledge and the Aristotelian notion of phronesis/practical wisdom. The article argues that a greater understanding of the concept of phronesis and its relevance to science education would enrich our understandings of teacher knowledge, its development, and consequently models of teacher education. Views of teacher knowledge presented in this paper are informed by philosophical literature that questions normative views of knowledge and argues for a virtue-based epistemology rather than a belief-based one. The paper first outlines general features of phronesis/practical wisdom. Later, a virtue-based view of knowledge is described. A virtue-based view binds knowledge with moral concepts and suggests that knowledge development is motivated by intellectual virtues such as intellectual sobriety, perseverance, fairness, and humility. A virtue-based theory of knowledge gives prominence to the virtue of phronesis/practical wisdom, whose primary function is to mediate among virtues and theoretical knowledge into a line of action that serves human goods. The role of phronesis and its relevance to teaching science are explained accordingly. I also discuss differences among various characterizations of practical knowledge in science education and a virtue-based characterization. Finally, implications and further questions for teacher education are presented.     

Science and its 'Other': Looking underneath 'woman' and 'science' for new directions in research on gender and science education

In this article, the author argues that, despite recent increases in the participation and achievement of girls in school science programmes, the problem of gender and science education has not been solved, but is simply re-emerging at other sites. The author argues that much of the published research on gender and science education reproduces, rather than solves, the problem, through the way in which it assumes, rather than examines, the two central terms of the problem. The author argues that, if the problem of gender and science education is produced via certain of the assumptions which underlie its two central terms - that is, 'gender' and 'science' - then its solution must involve the deconstruction of those terms. Part of the article begins this deconstruction. This is followed by an account of how this material might be used to design school science programmes which are capable of allowing young women to participate in science as women, rather than as 'substitute' men.     

Microscopy Images as Interactive Tools in Cell Modeling and Cell Biology Education

The advent of genomics, proteomics, and microarray technology has brought much excitement to science, both in teaching and in learning. The public is eager to know about the processes of life. In the present context of the explosive growth of scientific information, a major challenge of modern cell biology is to popularize basic concepts of structures and functions of living cells, to introduce people to the scientific method, to stimulate inquiry, and to analyze and synthesize concepts and paradigms. In this essay we present our experience in mixing science and education in Brazil. For two decades we have developed activities for the science education of teachers and undergraduate students, using microscopy images generated by our work as cell biologists. We describe open-air outreach education activities, games, cell modeling, and other practical and innovative activities presented in public squares and favelas. Especially in developing countries, science education is important, since it may lead to an improvement in quality of life while advancing understanding of traditional scientific ideas. We show that teaching and research can be mutually beneficial rather than competing pursuits in advancing these goals.     

Is religious education compatible with science education?

This paper tackles a highly controversial issue: the problem of the compatibility of science and religion, and its bearing on science and religious education respectively. We challenge the popular view that science and religion are compatible or even complementary. In order to do so, we give a brief characterization of our conceptions of science and religion. Conspicuous differences at the doctrinal, metaphysical, methodological and attitudinal level are noted. Regarding these aspects, closer examination reveals that science and religion are not only different but in fact incompatible. Some consequences of our analysis for education as well as for education policy are explored. We submit that a religious education, particularly at an early age, is an obstacle to the development of a scientific mentality. For this and other reasons, religious education should be kept away from public schools and universities. Instead of promoting a religious world view, we should teach our children what science knows about religion, i.e., how science explains the existence of religion in historical, biological, psychological and sociological terms.     

An ecological perspective on research with computers in science education

This paper presents an “ecological perspective” on research with computers in science education. It is proposed that current and past research within the computer education field has been characterised by an over-emphasis on technical applications of the machinery, rather than a deeper consideration of the teaching and learning process. This tendency toward “technocentric thinking” has usually failed to take into account the important social and cognitive interactions within the computer learning environment. The view advanced here, is that an understanding of the effects of computers on students' learning can be achieved only through an analysis of the dynamic interactions between students and teachers as they work with computers in a particular environment. A theoretical framework for understanding this range of interactions is presented. Finally, an ecological model is proposed for conducting future research on the application of computers in science education. Specializations: information technology in education, science education, technology education, environmental education, and media education     

试论现代教育的基本矛盾

教育是矛盾的统一体,现代教育具有以下四种基本矛盾:人文教育与科学教育的矛盾、大众教育与英才教育的矛盾、教师中心与学生中心的矛盾、统一教育与自由教育的矛盾,认识这些矛盾对我们理解现代教育中的诸多问题具有重要的理论意义和实践意义。     

Historical writing on science education: a view of the landscape

This article surveys historical scholarship on science education over the last 15 years and lays out a map of the different approaches to writing about this topic found in a variety of disciplines and fields. The hope is to provide scholars interested in science education past and present a better understanding of how this enterprise has functioned in western culture, both in terms of training future scientists and managing the relationship between science and the lay public. Highlighted in this article is the compartmentalised nature of current work which, I argue, presents an obstacle to more productive thinking about the history of science education in modern society.     

Crafting multicultural science education with preservice teachers through service-learning

Many science educators, in the US and elsewhere, suppport the idea that all students should have fair and equal opportunities to become scientifically literate through authentic, real problem-based science education. However, this challenge requires teachers to find ways to help all students feel comfortable with, and connected to, science. Despite the general consensus around the ideal of science for all, science teacher education programmes have had little or no impact on preservice teachers' philosophies of teaching and learning, especially as it relates to serving underserved populations in science. In this paper, I explore community service-learning as one way of addressing the multicultural dimension of preservice education with the following three questions: In what ways does involving pre-service science teachers in community service-learning influence their views on multicultural science education, in theory and practice? What qualities of community service-learning make multicultural science education a realistic objective? How might service-learning be used to push our collective understanding of what an inclusive and liberatory multicultural science teaching practice could be? I explore these questions and propose further areas of research by using a case study involving service-learning from my own teaching-research with preservice students.     

高等教育学的专业属性及其对人才培养的规定性

明确高等教育学专业的属性及其对人才培养的规定性,是解决本专业研究生培养模式改革的认识基础。高等教育学专业具有理论性与实践性相统一的特性,要求高等教育学专业的人才具有理论素养与实践能力紧密结合的素质,即不仅具备宽厚的理论基础,而且有强烈的研究意识和较强的实践能力。     

Risk and school science education

In this paper I consider a role for risk understanding in school science education. Grounds for this role are described in terms of current sociological analyses of the contemporary world as a ‘risk society’ and recent public understanding of science studies where science and risk are concerns commonly linked within the wider community. These concerns connect with support amongst many science educators for the goal of science education for citizenship. From this perspective scientific literacy for decision making on contemporary socioscientific issues is central. I argue that in such decision making, risk understanding has an important role to play. I examine some of the challenges its inclusion in school science presents to science teachers, review previous writing about risk in the science education literature and consider how knowledge about risk might be addressed in school science. I also outline the varying conceptions of risk and suggest some future research directions that would support the inclusion of risk in classroom discussions of socioscientific issues.     

浅谈高校理科德育渗透教育

要：高校德育是当前大学生教育的重点，理科开展德育渗透教育是个难点。本从理科委不要开展德育渗透教育，理科能不能开展德育渗透教育，理科如何开展德育渗透教育三个方面加以论述，说明理科是完全可以搞好德育渗透教育的。     

理解视野中科学与教育论

就解释学来说 ,“理解”意味着意义的自我揭示与价值的生成。科学并非只能“说明”,同样需要“理解”。理解科学已逐渐成为当代科学教育的新取向 ,从意义生成的角度而言 ,科学教育应回归“生活世界”。     

法兰克福学派对马克思主义理论的继承与发展——以文化批判看其理论的现实意义

法兰克福学派继承了马克思主义的异化理论并将其发展成自己批判资本主义社会的强大理论武器。他们以＂异化＂与＂技术理性＂为切入点,从意识形态领域、大众文化、技术理性等方面深刻批判了资本主义社会异化状态下的人类畸形的生存状况。但这种批判并不是基于马克思主义科学指导下,而是陷入了主观唯心主义立场引申来的人本主义批判漩涡中,因此本质上与马克思主义革命的批判的精神背道而驰。深刻理解法兰克福学派的社会批判理论有助于我们辩证地把握当代西方马克思主义发展脉络,坚持和发展马克思主义的科学性和时代性。     

对科学文化和科学教育的思考——兼谈素质教育的几个问题

“科学求真 ,人文求善” ,“科学教人做事 ,人文教人做人”的二分观点值得商榷 ,传统的事实价值二分模式和主客二分模式是其理论渊源。科学作为一种文化 ,不仅求真而且求善求美。对真善美的追求是科学文化的价值内蕴。科学在本质上是人文的 ,这是科学文化与人文文化“和而不同”的根基。缺乏完整的科学文化观和科学教育观 ,是科学教育最大的不足。完整的科学教育应当并且能够既教人做事也教人做人。要充分挖掘科学文化蕴含的人文价值来教育人 ,关键在于教师要提高自身的科学文化素养     

Open intransitivity cycles in development and education: Pathways to synthesis

Development as an open-systemic phenomenon involves feed-forward processes that guide the organism to face always uncertain future states of its relations with the environment. This creates a major conceptual problem for science — and a practical one for education — its theoretical terms need to captureboth the certain and uncertain aspects of the developing system. Psychological theory has failed to model developmental processes since it has been built on static ontology of being, rather than on the epistemology of becoming. This contrast is accentuated by the use of transitivity relations in psychological models which are axiomatically closed to the open-endedness of the future in conjunction with the uniqueness of the past-to-present trajectory. Flexibility of developing systems is guaranteed by intransitivity cycles that set up conditions for their own rupture. Development as multi-level interdependent process requires breaking of intransitivity cycles and is organized as an autocatalytic process. Novelty is the key feature in all developing systems, and our formal models in psychology need to open the process of emergence for empirical and theoretical inquiry. Implications of such theoretical reconstruction for educational practices will be discussed — demonstrating that (a) education is necessarily open-ended and constructive process, and (b) outcomes of educational efforts cannot be predicted — while setting the direction towards educational goals is the key to any outcomes.     

Exploring how globalization shapes education: methodology and theoretical framework

This is a commentary on some major issues raised in Carter and Dediwalage’s “Globalisation and science education: The case of Sustainability by the bay” (this issue), particularly their methodology and theoretical framework for understanding how globalisation shapes education (including science education). While acknowledging the authors’ contribution to the literature on globalisation and education, it questions the degree to which their analysis captures and explains how globalisation shapes science education, and examines how the research can be complemented by altering its methodology and expanding its theoretical framework.