Didactic Modelling for Socio-Ecojustice

Abstract

In northern Europe and Scandinavia, there is a tradition called Didaktik. It can be seen as both the art of teaching and as the “science for teachers”, helping us teachers answering didactic questions about WHY?, WHAT? and HOW? to teach (and support learning). Many areas of subject-specific Didaktik have in recent decades evolved from mainly practice-based methodology to quite independent research areas. This applies, for example, to the field of science-Didaktik (i.e., Science Education). Part of this field has a special interest in educational activities for socio-ecojustice. For instance, it can include complex issues used in teaching to build bridges across different curriculum subjects, among them STEM-subjects, in support of sustainability, reflexive Bildung and socio-political activism. The focus in this paper is on socalled didactic models and modelling aiming at actions for socio-ecojustice. In particular, the paper presents a model for eco-reflexive Didaktik, an example of a didactic model. Didactic modelling is the name for the processes when didactic models are used and developed, often by researchers in collaboration with practitioners. The didactic model in focus here is based on philosophical ideas and orientations, such as holism, critical realism, egalitarianism, altruism, reconstructionism and critical pedagogy.

Embedding Chemistry Education into Environmental and Sustainability Education: Development of a Didaktik Model Based on an Eco-Reflexive Approach

“…Therefore, in addition to knowledge of environmental issues, education needs to open up space for a focus on values, social norms, and emotions [37]. In accordance with Bencze and Carter [38], we support ideas and values such as holism, critical realism, egalitarianism, and altruism in science education (see also [32,39]).…”

“…Together, the three authors systematically developed the revised model presented in this article. We performed one step-a theoretical one-of what in the literature is called didactic modeling (e.g., [18,32,33]). It is a multifaceted concept that can be understood in different ways and includes both theoretical and practical steps.…”

“…At the heart of the reflection and development of teaching is Didaktik. Didaktik questions, mainly why, what, and how [17,32], are essential to ask if we aim to embed chemistry education into ESE. Our view of didaktik models is based on the idea of Bildung [17,28], according to which learning is an open and continuous process framed by for instance critical-democratic values and relevant knowledge [23,26].…”

Social Character of Science and Its Connection to Epistemic Reliability

“…This concept, introduced in the 1950s, can be further decomposed into various levels of alphabetization. Following Sjöström (2019), scientific alphabetization includes 3 levels: scientific alphabetization 'for scientists', that is to say for individuals that wish to become part of the scientific community, which implies mainly an advanced handling of scientific contents; scientific alphabetization at the level of procedures or action, where the focus is on the individuals' abilities to apply their knowledge about science on daily life problems and on the development of basic scientific abilities; and lastly the level of 'critical' scientific alphabetization, which aims at the integration of scientific and non-scientific knowledge and abilities to the discussion and solution of societal issues.…”