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Human Resource Development (HRM-627)

Lesson 31

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

Science, technology, society and environment (STSE) education, originates from the science technology

and society (STS) movement in science education. This is an outlook on science education that emphasizes the

teaching of scientific and hello technological developments in their cultural, economic, social and political

contexts. In this view of science education, students are encouraged to engage in issues pertaining to the impact

of science on everyday life and make responsible decisions about how to address such issues (Solomon, 1993

and Aikenhead, 1994).

Science technology and society (STS)

The STS movement has a long history in science education reform, and

embraces a wide range of theories about the intersection between

science, technology and society (Solomon and Aikenhead, 1994; Pedretti

1997). Over the last twenty years, the work of Peter Fensham, the noted

Australian science educator, is considered to have heavily contributed to

reforms in science education. Fensham's efforts included giving greater

prominence to STS in the school science curriculum (Aikenhead, 2003).

The key aim behind these efforts was to ensure the development of a

broad-based science curriculum, embedded in the socio-political and cultural contexts in which it was

formulated. From Fensham's point of view, this meant that students would engage with different viewpoints

on issues concerning the impact of science and technology on everyday life. They would also understand the

relevance of scientific discoveries, rather than just concentrate on learning scientific facts and theories that

seemed distant from their realities (Fensham, 1985 & 1988).

However, although the wheels of change in science education had been set

in motion during the late 1970s, it was not until the 1980s that STS

perspectives began to gain a serious footing in science curricula, in largely

Western contexts (Gaskell, 1982). This occurred at a time when issues

such as, animal testing, environmental pollution and the growing impact of

technological innovation on social infrastructure, were beginning to raise

ethical, moral, economic and political dilemmas (Fensham, 1988 and

Osborne, 2000). There were also concerns among communities of

researchers, educators and governments pertaining to the general public's

lack of understanding about the interface between science and society

(Bodmer, 1985; Durant et al. 1989 and Millar 1996). In addition, alarmed

by the poor state of scientific literacy among school students, science

educators began to grapple with the quandary of how to prepare students

to be informed and active citizens, as well as the scientists, medics and

engineers of the future (e.g. Osborne, 2000 and Aikenhead, 2003). Hence,

STS advocates called for reforms in science education that would equip students to understand scientific

developments in their cultural, economic, political and social contexts. This was considered important in

making science accessible and meaningful to all students -- and, most significantly, engaging them in real world

issues (Fensham, 1985; Solomon, 1993; Aikenhead, 1994 and Hodson 1998).

Goals of STS

The key goals of STS are:

An interdisciplinary approach to science education, where there is a seamless

integration of economic, ethical, social and political aspects of scientific and

technological developments in the science curriculum.

Engaging students in examining a variety of real world issues and grounding

scientific knowledge in such realities. In today's world, such issues might

include the impact on society of: global warming, genetic engineering, animal

testing, deforestation practices, nuclear testing and environmental legislations,

such as the EU Waste Legislation or the Kyoto Protocol.

Enabling students to formulate a critical understanding of the interface between science, society and

technology.

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Human Resource Development (HRM-627)

Developing students' capacities and confidence to make informed decisions, and to take responsible action to

address issues arising from the impact of science on their daily lives.

Scope and emphasis

Over the last two decades, STS curricula have taken a variety of forms. These emphasize a particular aspect of

STS according to the socio-political environment in which they are formulated, as well as the particular views

of curriculum developers on STS education and what is considered valid knowledge in a science curriculum

(Solomon & Aikenhead 1994 and Aikenhead, 2003). For example, in Canada and Israel, STS goals directed

towards understanding environmental issues were given greater emphasis. Hence, the addition of "E" to STS,

producing STSE and STES respectively. Whereas, in Belgium, goals focusing on ethics were given greater

prominence in STS education, and resulted in the publication of the journal Science Technologies Ethique Societé,

(Aikenhead, 2003). However, for the most part, STS curricula are bound by an overarching curriculum

framework. This reflects the three curriculum content areas for STS education described by Hodson (1998):

Learning science and technology: acquiring and developing

conceptual and theoretical knowledge in science and technology, and

gaining a familiarity with a range of technologies.

Learning about science and technology: developing an

understanding of the nature and methods of science and technology,

an awareness of the complex interactions among science, technology,

society and environment, and a sensitivity to the personal, social and

ethical implications of particular technologies.

Doing science and technology: engaging in and developing expertise

in scientific inquiry and problem solving; developing confidence and

competence in tackling a wide range of "real world" technological

tasks.

STSE Education

There is no uniform definition for STSE education. As mentioned before, STSE

is a form of STS education, but places greater emphasis on the environmental

consequences of scientific and technological developments. In STSE curricula,

scientific developments are explored from a variety of economic, environmental,

ethical, moral, social and political (Kumar and Chubin, 2000 & Pedretti, 2005)

perspectives.

At best, STSE education can be loosely defined as a movement that attempts to

bring about an understanding of the interface between science, society,

technology and the environment. A key goal of STSE is to help students realize

the significance of scientific developments in their daily lives and foster a voice of

active citizenship (Pedretti & Forbes, 2000).

Improving scientific literacy

Over the last two decades, STSE education has taken a prominent position in the

science curricula of different parts of the world, such as Australia, Europe, the UK and USA (Kumar &

Chubin, 2000). In Canada, the inclusion of STSE perspectives in science education has largely come about as a

consequence of the Common Framework of science learning outcomes, Pan Canadian Protocol for collaboration on School

Curriculum (1997)[1]. This document highlights a need to develop scientific literacy in conjunction with

understanding the interrelationships between science, technology, and environment. According to Osborne

(2000) & Hodson (2003), scientific literacy can be perceived in four different ways:

Cultural: Developing the capacity to read about and understand issues pertaining to science and technology in

the media.

Utilitarian: Having the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are essential for a career as scientist, engineer or

technician.

Democratic: Broadening knowledge and understanding of science to include the interface between science,

technology and society.

Economic: Formulating knowledge and skills that are essential to the economic growth and effective

competition within the global market place.

Rationale and goals

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Human Resource Development (HRM-627)

In the context of STSE education, the goals of teaching and learning are largely directed towards engendering

cultural and democratic notions of scientific literacy. Here, advocates of STSE education argue that in order to

broaden students understanding of science, and better prepare them for 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 aim of STSE education is to equip students to understand and

situate scientific and technological developments in their cultural, environmental, economic, political and social

contexts (Solomon & Aikenhead, 1994; Bingle & Gaskell, 1994; Pedretti 1997 & 2005). For example, rather

than learning about the facts and theories of weather patterns, students can explore them in the context of

issues such as global warming. They can also debate the environmental, social, enconomic and political

consequences of relevant legislation, such as the Kyoto Protocol. This is thought to provide a richer, more

meaningful and relevant canvas against which scientific theories and phenomena relating to weather patterns

can be explored (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 issues arising from the impact of science on

our daily lives

Knowledge, skills and confidence, to express opinions and take responsible action to address real world issues

in science

Curriculum content

Since STSE education has multiple facets, there are a variety of ways in which it can be approached in the

classroom. This offers teachers a degree of flexibility, not only in the incorporation of STSE perspectives into

their science teaching, but in integrating other curricular areas 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):

Summary table: Curriculum content

Approach

Description

Example

Learning about inventions or scientific theories

through the lives and worlds of famous

scientist. Students can research their areas of

interest and present them through various

A way of humanizing science. This approach

activities: e.g. drama-role play, debates or

examines the history of science through

documentaries. Through this kind of

concrete examples, and is viewed as way of

Historical

exploration, students examine the values,

demonstrating the fallibility of science and

beliefs and attitudes that influenced the work

scientists.

of scientists, their outlook on the world, and

how their work has impacted our present

circumstances and understanding of science

today.

Using historical narratives or stories of

scientific discoveries to concretely examine

Helps students formulate an understanding of

philosophical questions and views about

the different outlooks on the nature of

science. For example, "The Double Helix" by

science, and how differing viewpoints on the

James D. Watson is an account of the

Philosophical nature and validity of scientific knowledge

discovery of DNA. This historical narrative can

influence the work of scientists --

be used to explore questions such as: "What is

demonstrating how society directs and reacts

science? What kind of research was done to

to scientific innovation.

make this discovery? How did this scientific

development influence our lives? Can science

help us understand everything about our

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Human Resource Development (HRM-627)

world?" Such an exploration reveals the social

and historical context of philosophical debates

about the nature of science -- making this kind

of inquiry concrete, meaningful and applicable

to students' realities.

Real life events within the community, at the

This is the most widely applied approach to

national or international level, can be examined

STSE

education.

stimulates

from political, economic, ethical and social

understanding of the science behind issues,

perspectives through presentations, debates,

and the consequences to society and the

role-play, documentaries and narratives. Real

Issues-based environment. A multi-faceted approach to

life events might include: the impact of

examining issues highlights the complexities

environmental legislations, industrial accidents

of real-life debates. Students also become

and the influence of particular scientific or

aware of the various motives for decisions that

technological innovations on society and the

address environmental issues.

environment.

Opportunities and challenges of STSE education

Although advocates of STSE education keenly emphasize its merits in science education, they also recognize

inherent difficulties in its implementation. The opportunities and challenges of STSE education have been

articulated by Hughes (2000) and Pedretti & Forbes, (2000), at five different levels, as described below:

Values & beliefs: The goals of STSE education may challenge the values and beliefs of students and teachers -

- as well as conventional, culturally entrenched views on scientific and technological developments. Students

gain opportunities to engage with, and deeply examine the impact of scientific development on their lives from

a critical and informed perspective. This helps to develop students' analytical and problem solving capacities, as

well as their ability to make informed choices in their everyday lives.

As they plan and implement STSE education lessons, teachers need to provide a balanced view of the issues

being explored. This enables students to formulate their own thoughts, independently explore other opinions

and have the confidence to voice their personal viewpoints. Teachers also need to cultivate safe, non-

judgmental classroom environments, and must also be careful not to impose their own values and beliefs on

students.

Knowledge & understanding: The interdisciplinary nature of STSE

education requires teachers to research and gather information from a

variety of sources. At the same time, teachers need to develop a sound

understanding of issues from various disciplines -- philosophy, history,

geography, social studies, politics, economics, environment and science.

This is so that students' knowledge base can be appropriately scaffolded

to enable them to effectively engage in discussions, debates and decision-

making processes.

This ideal raises difficulties. Most science teachers are specialized in a particular field of science. Lack of time

and resources may effect how deeply teachers and students can examine issues from multiple perspectives.

Nevertheless, a multi-disciplinary approach to science education enables students to gain a more rounded

perspective on the dilemmas, as well as the opportunities, that science presents in our daily lives.

Pedagogic approach: Depending on teacher experience and comfort levels, a variety of pedagogic approaches

based on constructivism can be used to stimulate STSE education in the classroom. As illustrated in the table

below, the pedagogies used in STSE classrooms need to take students through different levels of understanding

to develop their abilities and confidence to critically examine issues and take responsible action.

Teachers are often faced with the challenge of transforming classroom practices from task-oriented approaches

to those which focus on developing students' understanding and transferring agency for learning to students

(Hughes, 2000). The table below is a compilation of pedagogic approaches for STSE education described in the

literature (e.g. Hodson, 1998; Pedretti & Forbes 2000; Richardson & Blades, 2001):

Summary table: Classroom practice

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Human Resource Development (HRM-627)

Level Description

Examples of Pedagogies

Students work in groups to research information on

various aspects of an event or innovation to illustrate its

Appreciating the societal impact of scientific

impact on society e.g. biotechnology, nuclear testing.

and technological change and recognizing

Students can use role-play, concept mapping, posters,

that, to some extent, science and technology

gallery exhibitions, presentations or documentaries to

are culturally determined.

display research findings and express their own

viewpoints.

Recognizing that decisions about scientific

Debates or Town Hall-style meetings, role-play interviews,

and technological development are taken in

case-studies, seminars, multi-media or documentary style

pursuit of particular interests. Weighing out

presentations, can all be used to present the political,

the pros and cons of scientific and

social, scientific and economic factors that led to decisions

technological developments and their links

about the impact of a particular scientific or technological

with wealth and power.

development.

Students can present their opinions on issues through:

Developing one's views and establishing presentations, debates, group discussions, poster

personal value positions on the effect of a presentations and writing. Through such activities,

scientific or technological development.

students can also be encouraged to express their hopes,

concerns and decisions as informed citizens.

This is a fundamental aspect of STSE education and could

Preparing for taking action. Having

involve: letter writing campaigns, writing a letter to the

examined

the

complexity

the

editor of a newspaper, developing a Webpage, presenting

development, students explore and plan

debates or holding meetings for the local community,

ways of addressing the issues.

developing personal action plans.

Time & resources: The multi-faceted approach of STSE education requires

teachers to move beyond conventional curriculum materials, and explore resources

in other disciplines -- social geography, history, social studies and politics. A

teacher's time and effort are needed to collect such resources, develop background

knowledge, and integrate them for successful and effective STSE lesson planning.

Assessment & evaluation: The broad, inquiry-based approach to STSE education

requires tools that assess students understanding of issues and skills-development

(e.g. problem solving, analysis, communication, presentation), rather than their

decisions or opinions. Hence, STSE education calls for the use of qualitative rather

than quantitative assessment methods.

It is difficult to develop assessment or evaluation criteria for such a personalized,

objective, view of science. Teachers need to clarify for students that it is their efforts

and skill development that are being assessed, rather than opinions. Examples of

assessment tools might include quizzes, questionnaires, journal writing, development of portfolios,

observations and one-on-one exit interviews.

Source: wikipedia

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