SOCIETAL ISSUES AND THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE EDUCATION��A PEDAGOGICAL JUSTIFICATION AND THE STATE-OF-THE-ART IN ISRAEL, GERMANY, AND THE USA

One common theme underlying recent reports on science education is that the content of school science and its related pedagogical approaches are not aligned with the interests and needs of both society and the majority of the students. Most students do not find their science classes interesting and motivating. These claims are especially valid regarding those students who, in the future, will probably not embark on a career in science or engineering but will need science and technology personally and functionally as literate citizens. One key problem seems to be that few science programs around the world teach how science is linked to those issues that are relevant to students’ life, environment, and role as a citizen. As a result, many students are unable to participate in societal discussions about science and its related technological applications. This paper discusses the need to incorporate socioscientific ideas into the science curricula more thoroughly. This recommendation is supported by a theoretical rationale from various sources leading to a reflection about common practices in science education in three countries: Israel, Germany, and the USA. The state-of-the-art, potentials, and barriers of effective implementation are discussed.     

POTENTIAL CHANGES IN PROSPECTIVE CHEMISTRY TEACHERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING—A CROSS-LEVEL STUDY

This paper presents a cross-level study of German student teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning chemistry. It covers different stages of their teacher training program. The study is based upon drawings of teaching situations, which were analyzed using an evaluation pattern developed using grounded theory. The qualitative scales analyze beliefs about classroom organization, teaching objectives, and epistemological beliefs. Data were collected from university freshmen, student teachers midway through their university teacher education program, and recently graduated teachers who had just finished their university program and are gaining experience as full-time teachers. The initial results reveal that the freshmen in our study profess very traditional beliefs about teaching and learning (characterized by teacher-centeredness and an understanding of learning as receptive consumption). The other two groups of trainees hold more modern beliefs about teaching and learning, which are in line with modern educational theory. Comparing the latter two groups shows that the student teachers midway through training appear to have the most modern teaching beliefs. Implications for teacher education will be addressed.     

Use of the concept of Bildung in the international science education literature,its potential,and implications for teaching and learning

Bildung is a complex educational concept that emerged in Germany in the mid eighteenth century. Especially in Germany and Scandinavia conceptions of Bildung became the general philosophical framework to guide both formal and informal education. Bildung concerns the whole range of education from setting educational objectives in general towards its particular operation in different school subjects, among them science education. In more recent years, the concept of Bildung has slowly begun to be used in the international science and environmental education literature. This paper presents a systematic analysis of the international literature concerning the use of the concept of Bildung, with a view on its meaning in and for science education. At least five versions based on or closely connected to the tradition of Bildung can be identified: (a) Von Humboldt’s classical Bildung, (b) Anglo-American liberal education, (c) Scandinavian folk-Bildung, (d) democratic education, and (e) critical-hermeneutic Bildung. These different understandings of Bildung are discussed in relation to their historical roots, educational theory, critique, and their relation to philosophies of science education, such as different visions of scientific literacy. Based on critical-hermeneutic Bildung, the paper theoretically develops views of critical-reflexive Bildung as an educational metatheory. It is connected to ideas of transformative learning, sustainability education and a Vision III of scientific literacy. Finally, some implications of critical-reflexive Bildung for teaching and learning are discussed.     

A Comparison of Student Teachers' Beliefs from Four Different Science Teaching Domains Using a Mixed Methods Design

The study presented in this paper integrates data from four combined research studies, which are both qualitative and quantitative in nature. The studies describe freshman science student teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning. These freshmen intend to become teachers in Germany in one of four science teaching domains (secondary biology, chemistry, and physics, respectively, as well as primary school science). The qualitative data from the first study are based on student teachers' drawings of themselves in teaching situations. It was formulated using Grounded Theory to test three scales: Beliefs about Classroom Organisation, Beliefs about Teaching Objectives, and Epistemological Beliefs. Three further quantitative studies give insight into student teachers' curricular beliefs, their beliefs about the nature of science itself, and about the student- and/or teacher-centredness of science teaching. This paper describes a design to integrate all these data within a mixed methods framework. The aim of the current study is to describe a broad, triangulated picture of freshman science student teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning within their respective science teaching domain. The study reveals clear tendencies between the sub-groups. The results suggest that freshman chemistry and—even more pronouncedly—freshman physics student teachers profess quite traditional beliefs about science teaching and learning. Biology and primary school student teachers express beliefs about their subjects which are more in line with modern educational theory. The mixed methods approach towards the student teachers' beliefs is reflected upon and implications for science education and science teacher education are discussed.     

A Multi-Perspective Reflection on How Indigenous Knowledge and Related Ideas Can Improve Science Education for Sustainability

Science & Education - Indigenous knowledge provides specific views of the world held by various indigenous peoples. It offers different views on nature and science that generally differ from...     

BELIEFS ABOUT CHEMISTRY TEACHING AND LEARNING—A COMPARISON OF TEACHERS’ AND STUDENT TEACHERS’ BELIEFS FROM JORDAN,TURKEY AND GERMANY

This paper discusses beliefs about teaching and learning chemistry. The sample includes chemistry student teachers and in-service teachers from Jordan, Turkey, and Germany. Two test instruments were used to investigate (student) teachers’ beliefs. A qualitative instrument was used to explore Beliefs about Classroom Organization, Beliefs about Teaching Objectives, and Epistemological Beliefs. A quantitative instrument was added to evaluate participants’ beliefs concerning the Nature of Good Education. The results show that Jordanian chemistry teachers and teacher trainees held the most traditional, teacher-centered, and transmission-oriented beliefs, while the German sample showed the most modern beliefs toward teaching and learning. Turkish (student) teachers evidenced more moderate beliefs, which tended to be between the two extremes, but that could still be positioned more closely to the traditional way of thinking. The results are discussed in the context of chemistry teacher education in the three respective countries.     

German Teachers’ Views on Promoting Scientific Media Literacy Using Advertising in the Science Classroom

A large part of the media landscape surrounding us consists of advertising. Therefore, skills for critically coping with advertising are indispensable. Students need to develop such skills for evaluating messages and facts from advertisements. They also need to learn about the mechanisms behind how advertisements are created and used to influence the public. Today, advertising for many products has a strong scientific component. However, learning with and about advertising does not play a prominent role in school science education. To date, advertising is almost exclusively discussed and evaluated within the humanities and social sciences, especially language education. The scientific components of advertising are not taken into account in these subjects. Engaged science teachers might prove to be the key to innovation when it comes to media education in the science classroom. This study explores both the opinions of German science teachers on the importance of scientific media literacy and their attitudes to implementing teaching units covering advertising in their science classes. Semistructured interviews with 12 secondary science teachers were conducted and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Two main types of teachers were identified, who have completely different views towards learning with and about advertising in science education.     

One country,two cultures – a multi-perspective view on Israeli chemistry teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning

This paper presents a study focusing on differences in Israeli Jewish and Arab chemistry teachers’ beliefs regarding teaching and learning of chemistry in the upper secondary schools. Israel is a country experiencing the problems of diverse cultural orientation of its inhabitants but applying the same educational system to its diverse cultural sectors. Education includes the same curriculum in chemistry for both the Israeli Jewish and Arab cultural sectors as well as final examinations (matriculation) set centrally by the Ministry of Education. Thus, this study can serve as a striking case for other countries facing similar cultural diversity. The study is based on two different instruments that are both qualitative and quantitative in nature. The qualitative data stem from chemistry teachers’ drawings of themselves as teachers in a typical classroom situation accompanied by four open questions. The data analysis follows three qualitative scales: beliefs about classroom organization, beliefs about teaching objectives and epistemological beliefs. A quantitative study gives insights into teachers’ beliefs about what characterizes good education. The main goal of the present paper is to determine whether both groups of chemistry teachers with different sociocultural background in Israel hold different views about education in general and chemistry education in particular. The findings provide evidence that in Israeli chemistry classrooms, the beliefs of Arabic teachers differ from those of the Jewish teachers, although both groups live in the same country and operate the same educational system.     

BOOK REVIEW

Abstract

This paper draws on established teacher education programmes at the Universities of Bath and Canberra in order to contrast different approaches to environmental education contained in secondary science teacher training courses in the two countries. The paper begins with an examination of the context, purposes and approaches of the two courses, leading to a critical review and a discussion of pertinent developmental issues within teacher training programmes and the relationship between science education and environmental issues.     

Towards Eco-reflexive Science Education

The modern world can be described as a globalized risk society. It is characterized by increasing complexity, unpredictable consequences of techno-scientific innovations and production, and its environmental consequences. Therefore, chemistry, just like many other knowledge areas, is in an ongoing process of environmentalization. For example, green chemistry has emerged as a new chemical metadiscipline and movement. The philosophy of green chemistry was originally based on a suggestion of twelve principles for environment-friendly chemistry research and production. The present article problematizes limitations in green chemistry when it comes to education. It argues that the philosophy of green chemistry in the context of education needs to be extended with socio-critical perspectives to form educated professionals and citizens who are able to understand the complexity of the world, to make value-based decisions, and to become able to engage more thoroughly in democratic decision-making on sustainability issues. Different versions of sustainability-oriented science/chemistry education are discussed to sharpen a focus on the most complex type, which is Bildung-oriented, focusing emancipation and leading to eco-reflexive education. The term eco-reflexive is used for a problematizing stance towards the modern risk society, an understanding of the complexity of life and society and their interactions, and a responsibility for individual and collective actions towards socio-ecojustice and global sustainability. The philosophical foundation and characteristics of eco-reflexive science education are sketched on in the article.