Science+Project+Products+and+Processes

"In a growing body of survey research that asks what they like and dislike about science in school, students complain about school science's perceived irrelevance, repetitiveness, fragmentation, and authoritarian presentation" (Turner & Peck, 2009, p. 54).

STSE education aims to be constructivist and student-centred. Science education should be a way for students to learn about the world around them and make sense of natural phenomena. Ideally this begins with students’ own concrete experiences and moves outwards from local to international contexts. Using the STSE model, the teacher begins with a socio-scientific issue related to the course of study. This issue could be generated by students for individual investigation or by the learning community for whole class investigation. Bencze (2013) presents a useful list of important socio-scientific issues facing the world [|here] from which students could choose. Alternatively, the whole class community could look to their local community for issues that affect them, their families, and neighbours.

Pedretti (1997) documents the work of a teacher who embedded science teaching and learning in a school issue related to the development of a septic tank on the school grounds. In that case, the whole class embarked on a significant journey of scientific investigation and social action. When this happens it does not mean that students do not tackle difficult abstract scientific theories. Aikenhead (1994) suggests that the investigation of theory will develop on a need to know basis. In the case of the septic tank crisis, the students were motivated to learn the science and technology behind septic systems and waste management, so they were more equipped to make a decision about what needed to be done.

Holistic education (Mahmoudi et al., 2012) encourages teachers to be intuitive. I suspect that extraordinary things can happen when a teacher uses their intuition to facilitate the investigation of socio-scientific issues (orchestrating whole class endeavors or as a coach to small groups). In the case of the septic tank crisis, the project culminated in student participation in a town hall style meeting with adult stakeholders and decision makers. As the journey progressed the teacher needed to be responsive to changes in the situation as well as the learning needs of the students. Of course, not all projects need to be so elaborate. Bencze (2013) presents a useful list of actions students can take in response to socio-scientific issues [|here.]

So how does this address my original concerns? At this point, I think that the key to keeping students engaged in scientific research is to embed it in a meaningful, authentic socio-scientific issue. Yet this is not enough. The product of their research must be politicized and take on a form of activism. Below you will see an activist product of research i.e. the youtube video about make-up. This is a reminder that forms of activism vary and can be facilitated through the use of technology in engaging ways. media type="custom" key="23326072" align="center"

Regardless of the product, the standards of research are not lowered. Students must still learn to adhere to responsible Internet research, access various resources, and use critical thinking skills such as considering counterarguments and alternative points of view. One criticism of the Activist Make Up video on the home page is that is seems to suggest that big make up companies inevitably test products on animals. Yet, the EU, with the cooperation of big name companies, is moving toward an outright ban on all cosmetics tested on animals. You can access this CBC story [|here]. My point is that students and teachers must not allow themselves to be drawn into one-sided perspectives on an issue. To illustrate the messiness of the Make Up issue, one needs to examine how big name companies may still test on animals when selling in Asian markets AND that countries outside the EU (trying to sell make up in the EU) may challenge the EU ban because they feel it gives some companies an unfair economic advantage. Socio-scientific issues are messy in our interconnected world and students need to engage the multiple perspectives of these issues.

= Please continue to Moving Forward: A Proposal for Improvement. =

=Major Page References=

Aikenhead, G. (1994). What is STS science teaching? In J. Solomon and G. Aikenhead (Eds.), STS education, International perspectives on reform (pp. 47-59). New York: Teachers College Press.

Pedretti, E. (1997). Septic tank crisis: A case study of science, technology and society education in an elementary school. International Journal of Science Education, 19(10), 1211-1230.

Turner, S. & Peck, D. (2009). Can we do school science better? Facing the problem of student engagement. Education Canada, 49 (2), 54-57.