The Role of Moral Reasoning and the Status of Socioscientific Issues in Science Education

Zeidler, Dana L.; Keefer, Matthew W.

doi:10.1007/1-4020-4996-x_2

Cited by 208 publications

(202 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…As Zeidler et al (2002) point out, "Socioscientific issues then, is a broader term that subsumes all that STS has to offer, while also considering the ethical dimensions of science, the moral reasoning of the child, and the emotional development of the student" (p. 344). Further, recent research (Zeidler & Keefer, 2003) in the area of SSI has provided theoretical and conceptual links among key psychological, sociological, and developmental factors associated with SSI education. We envision SSI in a manner that considers how controversial scientific issues and dilemmas affect the intellectual growth of individuals in both personal and societal domains.…”

Section: Beyond Sts: Presuppositions Of the Ssi Domainmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One framework recently proposed because of its utility in addressing socioscientific discourse in terms of the psychological, social, and emotive growth of the child is derived from a cognitive-moral reasoning perspective (Zeidler & Keefer, 2003). This initial model served as an impetus for our article by identifying potential lines of research that might prove promising in the development of an SSI framework.…”

Section: Beyond Sts: Presuppositions Of the Ssi Domainmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is clear from recent international research in science education that current reform initiatives in our field demand increased emphasis on the nature of science (NOS) and scientific inquiry, as well as development of broad conceptual frameworks encompassing progressive visions of scientific literacy that entail a commitment to the moral and ethical dimensions of science education-including the social and character development of children (Zeidler & Keefer, 2003). In particular, students are expected to develop an understanding of the epistemology of scientific knowledge as well as the processes/methods used to develop such knowledge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond STS: A research-based framework for socioscientific issues education

et al. 2005

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An important distinction can be made between the science, technology, and society (STS) movement of past years and the domain of socioscientific issues (SSI). STS education as typically practiced does not seem embedded in a coherent developmental or sociological framework that explicitly considers the psychological and epistemological growth of the child, nor the development of character or virtue. In contrast, the SSI movement focuses on empowering students to consider how science-based issues reflect, in part, moral principles and elements of virtue that encompass their own lives, as well as the physical and social world around them. The focus of this paper is to describe a research-based framework of current research and practice that identifies factors associated with reasoning about socioscientific issues and provide a working model that illustrates theoretical and conceptual links among key psychological, sociological, and developmental factors central to SSI and science education.

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Section: Beyond Sts: Presuppositions Of the Ssi Domainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Beyond Sts: Presuppositions Of the Ssi Domainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond STS: A research-based framework for socioscientific issues education

et al. 2005

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“…The literature has highlighted SSI approaches for an essential reform to science curricula, focusing on controversial and socially relevant issues (Kolsto, 2001; Lee & Witz, 2009;Levinson, 2006;Zeidler, 2014). While some science educators have expressed concerns that using socially relevant curricula can threaten the integrity of traditional science instruction and students" understanding of basic science concepts (DeBoer, 1991), several science educators have strongly advocated for using socioscientific issues as a context for teaching science (Bingle & Gaskell, 1994;Zeidler & Keefer, 2003, Zeidler, 2014. Traditional classroom science translates, simplifies, and abstracts many concepts from their contextual origins causing students difficulty in understanding these concepts (Sadler, 2009).…”

Section: Literature Review Socioscientific Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eliciting Students' Understanding of a Local Socioscientific Issue Through the Use of Critical Response Pedagogies

Karahan

Andzenge

Roehrig

2016

IJEMST

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This study introduces a critical response pedagogy (CRP), an arts-based critical technique to facilitate meaningful dialogue in focus group settings, to secondary school science education students to engage them in discussion about sediment and chemical load in their local river basin community. Using a holistic single case design, twenty-two 11th and 12th graders (15 male and 7 female) from an environment ethics course participated in focus group interviews. The analysis of the data was made via case-by-case analysis individually performed by each researcher to identify themes, then across the cases using the long table (classic) method. The following themes were identified: (1) aroused curiosity, (2) human impact and responsibility, (3) triggering memories, (4) feeling connected to the Minnesota River, (5) outside of the captured area, (6) use of the image, (7) social impacts, (8) economy, and (9) ecological impacts. The findings indicated that student"s characterization and description of the rivers is mixed although they have similar observations and experiences. In addition, using a critical response protocol created a dialogical environment where students were comfortable engaging in a conversation about a local controversial issue. Thus, the conversation shifted toward critical analysis of an issue rather than an under informed debate about perspectives. This study showed that critical response pedagogy is a non-threatening way to gauge students" knowledge and understanding of issues and identify possible misconceptions or knowledge gaps which would be useful in designing instruction.

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“…A literate person should display understanding of the main science concepts, principles, and theories, ability to put into practice some science processes, and positive attitudes toward STS issues, which include knowledge about the main features of S&T as ways of knowing (epistemology), understanding S&T as human enterprises (social aspects), and some understanding of the history of S&T (Aikenhead, 1994b;Yager & Weld, 1999). Achieving positive attitudes toward S&T is one of the most broadly recognised innovations in science education, which echo the reform goal of switching from the traditional S&T education for the future scientific elite to a new S&T education for all citizens, and is closely tied to the personal and social relevance of S&T, and the decision making on public techno-scientific issues (Désautels & Larochelle, 2003;Roth, 2002;Zeidler, 2003). Its value-laden nature and influence on the individual's decision-making translates science education into a new world of goals, which involves cognitions, but also affects and behavior (Aikenhead, 1994b;Fensham, 2004;Solomon, 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of complex multiple‐choice science–technology–society items: Methodological development and preliminary results

2006

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ABSTRACT:The scarce attention to the assessment and evaluation in science education research has been especially harmful for teaching science -technology -society (STS) issues, due to the dialectical, tentative, value-laden, and polemic nature of most STS topics. This paper tackles the methodological difficulties of the instruments that monitor views related to STS topics and rationalizes a quantitative methodology and an analysis technique to improve the utility of an empirically developed multiple-choice item pool, the Questionnaire of VÁZQUEZ-ALONSO ET AL.Opinions on STS. This methodology embraces an item-scaling psychometrics based on the judgments by a panel of experts, a multiple response model, a scoring system, and the data analysis. The methodology finally produces normalized attitudinal indices that represent the respondent's reasoned beliefs toward STS statements, the respondent's position on an item that comprises several statements, or the respondent's position on an entire STS topic that encompasses a set of items. Some preliminary results show the methodology's ability to evaluate the STS attitudes in a qualitative and quantitative way and for statistical hypothesis testing. Lastly, some applications for teacher training and STS curriculum development in science classrooms are discussed.

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The Role of Moral Reasoning and the Status of Socioscientific Issues in Science Education

Cited by 208 publications

References 44 publications

Beyond STS: A research-based framework for socioscientific issues education

Beyond STS: A research-based framework for socioscientific issues education

Eliciting Students' Understanding of a Local Socioscientific Issue Through the Use of Critical Response Pedagogies

An analysis of complex multiple‐choice science–technology–society items: Methodological development and preliminary results

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