Pack for Sustainability: Navigating through Uncharted Educational Landscapes

The worlds of education and learning have for the last few decades been characterized by reactions to the detrimental human impact on the environment, which is measured on such a scale that scholars now refer to the present epoch as the Anthropocene. In order to develop ideas and practices that could guide us into place-based research and an emancipatory relationship between pedagogy and knowledge, the focus needs to shift from what to teach and why (Knowledge and Curriculum) and concern over how learning is evaluated (Assessment) to how we should teach (Pedagogy). The acronym PACK (Pedagogy, Assessment, Curriculum, and Knowledge) turned into the idea of packing for a trip into uncharted educational territory, taking with us several gadgets that might be useful. Our own journey emerged as a dialogue between a philosopher and a science educator. Building on experiences from global work to regional research and a university chairmanship for sustainability, we tried to pack some big ideas for educators to take along, helping them navigate the educational landscapes ahead.

Towards a New Teaching Approach for Scientific Literacy

Through the three-visions framework, a science educator approaches her science lessons and her practice from a more purposeful and intentional place and building and understanding the relation to the subject of study beyond an objective view can potentially bring more meaningful learning for the students.

Musing on Unanswered Questions

Out of a conversation between two long-time colleagues—each a science educator and practicing artist—emerged the question, “What does it mean to STEAMify a lesson, and why would a teacher actually choose to do such a thing, other than, say, for-grant-writing-purposes?” Their science selves really liked the idea of a STEAM system, acted upon by forces, both from the outside and from within, and with energy flowing and cycling, all the while transforming grey matter in ways that sustained the teaching/learning process. When it came to their art; however, their dialogue followed pathways grooved by long years of practice and hard work in their respective fields. One author is a seasoned vocalist, trained in the nuances of both individual and group vocal performance as well as the attendant dimensions of music, its composition and phraseology. The other is a painter, poet, and novelist, shaping words, color, and line to tell stories and communicate ideas. What was significant to each was that their artistic habits of mind had shaped their axiology, transforming their ways teaching.

Irma Rahma Suwarma: A Science Educator for Our Time

STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM defined as the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into a new cross-disciplinary subject in schools. The concept of integrating subjects in Indonesian schools, generally is not new and has not been very successful in the past. Some people consider STEM as an opportunity while others view it as having problems. Irma Rahma Suwarma is science educator and researcher that consider STEM as an opportunity. Irma Rahma Suwarma is a physics educator and STEM educator at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI; Indonesia Education University). Born in Bandung, Indonesia on May 3, 1981, she received philosophiae doctor (Ph.D.) degree from Shizuoka Daigaku (静岡大学; Shizuoka University), Japan. Irma Rahma Suwarma studied physics at Universitas Pasundan (Unpas; Pasundan University). She left institution at November 10, 2003 after earned Sarjana Sains (S.Si.; equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts in physics). She went to UPI to pursue a graduate study in physics education untill gained Magister Pendidikan (M.Pd.; equi (equivalent to a Master of Arts in physics education) on16 Februari 2007. After her graduate work at UPI, Irma Rahma Suwarma hold lectureships since autumn 2008 until now. But, at 2011, Irma went to Shizuoka University. Irma Rahma Suwarma researched implementation STEM education in Japan and Indonesia as her graduate thesis at Science and Technology Educational Division Department of Information Science and Technology Shizuoka University on autumn 2014. Her thesis entitled “Research on Theory and Practice STEM Education Implementation in Japan and Indonesia using Multiple Intelligences Approach” is one of her work on STEM. Before and after published her graduate thesis, Irma Rahma Suwarma has involved the study of STEM, as an author, educator, academic advisor, and seminar speaker. This work examines what it has been and continues work from Irma Rahma Suwarma in the science education. Our exploration uses qualitative methods of narrative approaches in the form of biographical studies. Participants as data sources were selected using a purposive sampling technique which was collected based on retrospective interview and naturalistic observation. Data's validity, reliability, and objectivity checked by using external audit techniques. As UNESCO believes that having more female in STEM fields is desirable because it would help bring about sustainable development, this article explores the powerful of female’s personal style in developing a form of social influence based on her forms of capital as well as address the positive and negative consequences that may follow while implement and research STEM in teaching classroom.

Fenny Roshayanti: A Biography of Science Educator for Our Time

STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics. STEAM defined as the integration of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics into a new cross-disciplinary subject in schools. The concept of integrating subjects in Indonesian schools, generally is not new and has not been very successful in the past. Some people consider STEAM as an opportunity while others view it as having problems. Fenny Roshayanti is science educator and researcher that consider STEAM as an opportunity. She has involved the study of STEAM, as an author, educator, academic advisor, and seminar speaker. This article examines what it has been and continues work from Fenny Roshayanti in the science education. Our exploration uses qualitative methods of narrative approaches in the form of biographical studies. Participants as data sources were selected using a purposive sampling technique which was collected based on retrospective interview and naturalistic observation. Data's validity, reliability, and objectivity checked by using external audit techniques. This work explores the powerful of female’s personal style in developing a form of social influence based on her forms of capital as well as address the positive and negative consequences that may follow while implement and research STEAM in teaching classroom.

Fenny Roshayanti: A Biography of Science Educator for Our Time

STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics. STEAM defined as the integration of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics into a new cross-disciplinary subject in schools. The concept of integrating subjects in Indonesian schools, generally is not new and has not been very successful in the past. Some people consider STEAM as an opportunity while others view it as having problems. Fenny Roshayanti is science educator and researcher that consider STEAM as an opportunity. She has involved the study of STEAM, as an author, educator, academic advisor, and seminar speaker. This article examines what it has been and continues work from Fenny Roshayanti in the science education. Our exploration uses qualitative methods of narrative approaches in the form of biographical studies. Participants as data sources were selected using a purposive sampling technique which was collected based on retrospective interview and naturalistic observation. Data's validity, reliability, and objectivity checked by using external audit techniques. This work explores the powerful of female’s personal style in developing a form of social influence based on her forms of capital as well as address the positive and negative consequences that may follow while implement and research STEAM in teaching classroom.