Developing a community of thinking in biological sciences

Abstract

Globally, higher education institutions are constantly challenged to respond to changes in the political, social, economic, environment and other sectors in terms of their teaching practices. But, are tertiary institutions responding adequately and appropriately to these challenges in terms of Biological Sciences, their applications and their effect on the environment? The purpose of this paper is to discuss an instruction and assessment strategy in Biology to enhance eco-education. This paper is based on a study that recognises the significance and impact of education and (by implication) assessment in Biological Sciences on the environment. This paper therefore reports on an oral assessment intervention in Biology at two tertiary institutions in South Africa based on "practical activities and first hand experience" emphasized by The 1975 Belgrade and Tbilisi international agreements (UNESCO-UNEP 1976, 1978). Grounded in a social-constructivist framework, this qualitative study located learning and assessment in Biology within the framework of situated learning which focused on the construction and assessment of knowledge within the learner's community of practice.

Empathy and critical thinking: primary students solving local environmental problems through outdoor learning

“…Indeed, students were able to face and solve serious problems such as family violence, coexistence, school bullying, vandalism and environmental awareness, to mention a few. These suggest that the strategies used can help to create a citizenry that is more informed and better able to bear complex world problems (Hofreiter et al, 2007;Singh, 2011).…”

“…The cognitive domain includes knowledge and the development of mental skills, and the affective domain refers to the emotional responses to tasks. These processes can, in turn, be observed as skills for inquiring, information analysis and communication to solve environmental problems (Allen, 1975;Ernst & Monroe, 2004;Singh, 2011). The importance of the problemsolving approach in the field of education has increased considerably in recent years.…”