Science teachers' social conscience and the role of controversial issues in the teaching of science

Abstract

The increasing number and variety of controversial scientific and technological issues with which citizens are confronted has led, in recent years, to calls for a schooling of science which prepares future citizens for participation in resolving such issues. We examined the social conscience of science teachers as it bears on the teaching of controversial issues. The study was conducted by interviewing teachers in two widely different English-speaking locations, Scotland and the United States. The research explores the perceptions of teachers with regard to the teaching of controversial issues, the problem of handling personal value positions when dealing with issues, and the tension that exists between the teaching of controversial issues and traditional value-free science curricula.

Scientific literacy: A Freirean perspective as a radical view of humanistic science education

“…Several researchers have highlighted these difficulties in the SSI approach (e.g., Cross & Price, 1996;Geddis, 1991;Lumpe, Haney, & Czerniak, 1998;Solomon, 1988;Tal, Dori, Keiny, & Zoller, 2001). However, the recognition of these dilemmas does not represent an insurmountable barrier to change science education, but a challenge that needs to be overcome.…”

Western Australian high school students' attitudes towards biotechnology processes

“…Despite students studying a science curriculum that does not explicitly include biotechnology, these trends and the percentages are not dissimilar to those in the UK studies. Also of interest is the preliminary finding that the attitudes of the students who had studied biotechnology did not teaching of biotechnology include: a lack of expertise by teachers in the content area; a lack of experience in appropriate learning activities; a scarcity of resources and curriculum materials; and insufficient teaching time (Cross and Price, 1996;Dawson, 2001;Macer et al, 1996). These factors may, in part, be resolved by the development of resources such as Biotechnology Online, produced by Biotechnology Australia (www.biotechnology.gov.au/ biotechnologyOnline) a Government organisation which aims to raise public awareness of biotechnology).…”

Does the Discussion of Socio‐Scientific Issues require a Paradigm Shift in Science Teachers' Thinking?

“…However, related research on the promotion of argumentation in science and teaching using controversial issues in science (Cross & Price, 1996;Dawson & Venville, 2010;Simon, Erduran, & Osborne, 2006) does provide useful insights into the place of argumentation and disagreement within discussion. In fact, most of the literature on discussion in science pertains to the content complexities of the socio-scientific issues but interestingly fails to deal with the issue of whether the discussion was open or teacher dominated.…”