A Model Proposal to Address Relationships Between Epistemic Practices and Socioscientific Issues in Science Education

Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências ◽

10.28976/1984-2686rbpec2021u743770 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. e35748

Author(s):

Tatiana Costa Ramos ◽

Paula Cristina Cardoso Mendonça

Keyword(s):

Science Education ◽

Social Norms ◽

Socioscientific Issues ◽

Critical Assessment ◽

Epistemic Cognition ◽

Informal Reasoning ◽

Epistemic Practices ◽

Multiple Dimensions ◽

Epistemic Goals

In this paper, we present a model that relates epistemic practices and socio-scientific issues (SSI) in science education. In order to develop it, we establish interweavings between norms, practices, epistemic objectives, epistemic cognition, informal reasoning, epistemic practices and justified positioning. We suggest that epistemic cognition is the link between reasoning and epistemic practices. We present three epistemic goals that should guide work with epistemic practices when solving a SSI: recognising and using multiple lines of reasoning when solving the SSI, construction and evaluation of holistic arguments aiming to understand the multiple dimensions of the SSI and the development of sceptical investigations to resolve the SSI. The stated objectives contribute to the critical assessment and resolution of the SSI. We believe that for the construction of social norms in teaching environments with SSI, it should be considered that these questions do not require a “single” answer and, therefore, a space for reflection, awareness and justification of the different perspectives on the question must be allowed. The relationships established in this article contribute to research that aims to develop and analyse epistemic practices “in situ” in teaching contexts with SSI. In addition, they have the potential to provide support to teachers who wish to favour the occurrence of epistemic practices in a SSI approach.

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Conceiving Socioscientific Issues in STEM Lessons from Science Education Research and Practice

Education Sciences ◽

10.3390/educsci11050238 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 238

Author(s):

Silvia Alcaraz-Dominguez ◽

Mario Barajas

Keyword(s):

Science Education ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Socioscientific Issues ◽

Educational Systems ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Inquiry Based Learning ◽

Teaching And Learning Strategies ◽

Assessment Of Student Learning ◽

Method Of Assessment

This paper aims to elicit the different conceptions of Socioscientific Issues (SSI) in formal, non-tertiary STEM lessons. An examination of recent publications in the field of science education was conducted to elicit the most common conceptions of SSI as per the components of STEM lessons, namely: purpose, contents, teaching and learning strategies and assessment. As for purpose, the conceptions elicited have been organized in terms of contributing to citizenship goals, or to scientific competence. As for contents, it was found that SSI are related both to knowledge of science and knowledge about science and linked to skills such as argumentation. In terms of teaching and learning strategies, SSI are mainly associated with Inquiry-Based Learning; and with student engagement techniques such as dilemmas and group discussions. Lastly, performance assessment of student learning processes and results is typical when SSI are conceived as a method of assessment of STEM lessons. This conception sets up strong foundations for the design and evaluation of innovative SSI teaching. It shall also help to open new lines of research establishing connections among applications of SSI in different subjects, cultural contexts and educational systems.

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Reasoning on Controversial Science Issues in Science Education and Science Communication

Education Sciences ◽

10.3390/educsci11090522 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 522

Author(s):

Anna Beniermann ◽

Laurens Mecklenburg ◽

Annette Upmeier zu Belzen

Keyword(s):

Science Education ◽

Science Communication ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Scientific Data ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Informal Reasoning ◽

The Public ◽

Fine Grained ◽

Societal Issues ◽

Category System

The ability to make evidence-based decisions, and hence to reason on questions concerning scientific and societal aspects, is a crucial goal in science education and science communication. However, science denial poses a constant challenge for society and education. Controversial science issues (CSI) encompass scientific knowledge rejected by the public as well as socioscientific issues, i.e., societal issues grounded in science that are frequently applied to science education. Generating evidence-based justifications for claims is central in scientific and informal reasoning. This study aims to describe attitudes and their justifications within the argumentations of a random online sample (N = 398) when reasoning informally on selected CSI. Following a deductive-inductive approach and qualitative content analysis of written open-ended answers, we identified five types of justifications based on a fine-grained category system. The results suggest a topic-specificity of justifications referring to specific scientific data, while justifications appealing to authorities tend to be common across topics. Subjective, and therefore normative, justifications were slightly related to conspiracy ideation and a general rejection of the scientific consensus. The category system could be applied to other CSI topics to help clarify the relation between scientific and informal reasoning in science education and communication.

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Leadership, the American Academy of Management, and President Trump’s Travel Ban: A Case Study in Moral Imagination

Journal of Business Ethics ◽

10.1007/s10551-018-3979-y ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 163 (1) ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Haridimos Tsoukas

Keyword(s):

American Academy ◽

Moral Imagination ◽

Moral Character ◽

Critical Assessment ◽

Initial Reaction ◽

Political Speech ◽

Responsible Action

AbstractIn this essay, I focus on the initial reaction of the then leadership of the Academy of Management (AOM) to President Trump’s travel ban issued in January 2017. By viewing the travel ban in purely administrative terms, AOM leadership framed it as an example of “political speech”, on which they were organizationally barred to take a public stand. I subject this view to critical assessment, arguing that the travel ban had a distinct moral character, which was antithetical to scholarly values. Τhe travel ban, I suggest, should be viewed as a non-prototypical case of political speech, which required AOM leadership to flexibly adapt existing rules in situ: to imaginatively frame the travel ban in order to undertake responsible action. Accordingly, the early 2017 AOM rules about political speech should be seen not as recipes-for-action but as reminders-for-action, thus allowing an imaginative reframing. Finally, exploring the notion of moral imagination, I distinguish between “disclosive” and “incremental” moral imagination and responsibility, and suggest that AOM leadership engaged mainly in the latter.

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