Addressing Sustainable Development: Promoting Active Informed Citizenry through Trans-Contextual Science Education

Abstract

This article seeks to identify the role of science education in promoting an active, scientifically literate, citizenry ready to address sustainable development goals as envisaged by the United Nations (2015). In so doing, a conceptual model is put forward to address citizenry development, extending beyond an informed scientific and technological decision making ability and encompassing constructive activities addressing sustainable development at the local, national and global level. The operationalisation of the model builds on an initial student-relevant, societal issue-related contextualisation involving STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) while focusing on developing science conceptual learning. The model extends to not only considering socio-scientific issues, but seeks to promote trans-contextualisation beyond the school setting, seeking to raise awareness of an active informed citizenry, related to environmental, economic and social sustainability. The components of active informed citizenry are described and a trans-contextual science teaching example based on the model is put forward in this article.

Entrepreneurship Education Challenges for Green Transformation

“…Within this, socio-scientific competencies relate to a range of the so-called soft skills, as well as civic values (Holbrook and Rannikmäe 2014). This suggests that, alongside environmental and sustainability awareness within general education, there is an expected need for students to acquire 'citizenship' competencies and even those which involve a more collected realisation, such as those associated with citizenry (Chowdhury et al 2020). Unfortunately, the development of the range of competencies relevant to Green Transformation, above and beyond University-level research studies, and especially in the development of a citizen, or the collective citizenry, have hardly been an area of study.…”

Promoting Environmental Citizenship Through Local Socio-Cultural Traditions in Science Education

“…Many scholars in environmental education such as Bonnett (2002) and Stables and Scott (2002) argue that scientific and technical solutions to the environmental crisis lack crucial elements and are therefore inadequate responses to the crisis. Chowdhury, Holbrook and Rannikm‰e (2020) add the fourth stage ñ trans-contextualisation stage, to enhance awareness and involve active participatory approaches to controversial issues of a local, national, or global nature. The stage seeks to stimulate a sense of commitment to undertake actions beyond the school, leading to active informed citizens.…”

“…The results were a bit inconsistent, yet the student small groups were able to react to each otherís presentations and make arguments based on the presented information. Recommendations for the city manager was seen to correspond action and participation in society to form a trans-contextualisation stage (Chowdhury et al, 2020).…”

“…The Pedestrian crossing ñ scenario relates to the use of space as an immaterial nature resource, to the behaviour and attitudes of drivers in a site-specific case, to traffic safety in Europe as social-cultural issue and walking versus bicycling from the viewpoint of sustainability. Students practice participation in society in a trans-contextualisation stage (Chowdhury et al, 2020;see Varis et al, 2018).…”

Los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible a través de la novela gráfica en la Educación Superior

“…97-114 y a la responsabilidad social, sin olvidar la adquisición de una conciencia global (Howlett et al, 2016;UNESCO, 2017;SDSN Australia/Pacific, 2017;Zamora-Polo y Sánchez-Martín, 2019). Se hace necesario, por tanto, desarrollar un currículo apropiado (Meadows, 2020) con el objeto de promover una ciudadanía activa e informada (Chowdhury et al, 2020). Para facilitar este proceso, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Australia/Pacific, 2017) desarrolló hace cuatro años una guía para implementar los SDG en las universidades, tanto en el ámbito de la enseñanza-aprendizaje como en la investigación, la gobernanza institucional y el liderazgo social.…”