Students' Views on Relationships in Socioscientific Issues: Merits of Foci on Thinking Schema

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 3
  In Poster Session: Science Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Addressing problems associated with science and technology requires participatory roles of citizens with critical science literacy. Hence, we advocate youth socio-political activism through science education. Relating to this, developing critical understanding of complexity of networks of power-relations that shape science seems essential to take effective actions. This paper reports on experiences of a high-school science teacher in the UK implementing an activist science education framework in his classrooms. It examines students’ pre-instructional conceptions and the teacher’s efforts to support students with relevant critical lenses. We argue that students may have initial naïve/limited understanding of complexity of socioscientific issues and can benefit from explicit teaching that expands their critical understanding and critical thinking. Significance for activist science education is also discussed.

Authors

• Majd Zouda, University of Toronto

• Dimitris Tsoubaris

• Sarah Halwany, University of Calgary

• Minja Milanovic, University of Toronto

• Zoya Padamsi, University of Toronto

• Nadia Qureshi, University of Toronto

• John Lawrence Bencze, OISE/University of Toronto