This book provides a fascinating insight into the on-going process of self- reflection in the Science|Environment|Health (S|E|H) community. The basic vision of a new S|E|H pedagogy is to establish a transdisciplinary dialogue between the three educational fields of science education, environmental education, and health education. This approach finds growing interest among science educators. Since 2014, the ESERA special interest group S|E|H has united both experienced and junior researchers all over Europe in a burgeoning research community.
This book presents a selection of results of these vibrant activities. Systems theory has turned out to be a stimulating theoretical framework for S|E|H. The limits of predictability in complex living systems result in structural uncertainty for decision-making, and they ask for emphasising and rethinking the role of pedagogical concepts like informed citizenship and scientific literacy. They challenge crude scientific determinism in environmental and health education, which all too often ends up with students’ eco- and health depression. Instead, S|E|H conceives coping with uncertainty in terms of an interplay between cognitive and affective factors. The horizon of the future remains always open. Hope must never die in a new S|E|H pedagogy.
Chapter 3 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.
Author(s): Albert Zeyer, Regula Kyburz-Graber
Series: Contributions from Science Education Research, 10
Edition: 2
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 297
City: Cham
Foreword
References
Preface
Contents
Chapter 1: Science|Environment|Health: An Introduction
1.1 A Short Look Back
1.2 Complexity as a Core Issue of S|E|H
1.3 The Concept of This Book
1.4 The Book Structure
1.4.1 Beyond Prediction and Control
1.4.2 Shifting the Curriculum Towards Informed Citizenship
1.4.3 Promoting Scientific Literacy
1.5 S|E|H: A Pedagogy of Complex Living Systems
References
Part I: Beyond Prediction and Control
Chapter 2: Coping with Structural Uncertainty in Complex Living Systems
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Complexity and Complex Living Systems
2.2.1 The Cynefin Framework
2.2.2 Living Systems Are Complex
2.2.3 Complexity, Self-Organisation, and Emergence
2.2.4 The Role of Linear Statistics in Complex Systems and Structural Uncertainty
2.2.5 Atomism and Holism
2.3 Towards a New S|E|H Pedagogy of Complex Living Systems
2.3.1 Critical Approaches
2.3.2 Informed Citizenship
2.3.3 Scientific Literacy and Decision-Making
2.4 Teaching S|E|H: Evidence and Preference
2.4.1 Evidence and Preference
2.4.2 Shared Decision-Making
2.4.3 Inspirations from Medicine for a New S|E|H Pedagogy?
2.4.4 A New S|E|H Pedagogy
References
Chapter 3: Narrativity in Complex Systems
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The Notion of System
3.3 Complex Systems, Mechanisms, and Models
3.4 From Mechanisms to Forces of Nature
3.5 Modelling and Simulation as Narrative Acts
3.6 Complexity and Ephemeral Mechanisms
3.7 Conclusion: Complex Systems in Education
References
Chapter 4: “That Is Not My Problem!”: Utilizing the Concept of Psychological Distance in Environmental and Health Education
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Concept of Psychological Distance
4.2.1 General Definition and Foundation in Construal Level Theory
4.2.2 Dimensionality of Psychological Distance
4.3 Applying Psychological Distance to Science|Environment|Health
4.3.1 Psychological Distance and Climate Action
4.3.2 Reducing Psychological Distance for Effective Health Message Framing
4.3.3 Lowering Psychological Distance Through Choice of Instructional Methods and Stimulus Material
4.4 Empirical Perspective
4.4.1 Measuring Psychological Distance Regarding Science|Environment|Health Contexts
4.4.2 Psychological Distance and Teaching Motivation
4.5 Conclusion and Future Directions
References
Chapter 5: Coping with the Commons Dilemma in Complex Issues: The Climate Change Example
5.1 Introduction
5.1.1 Climate Change as an Overwhelming Challenge in Education
5.1.2 The Commons Dilemma
5.2 The Tragedy of the Commons as a Dilemma Problem
5.2.1 The Famous Article of Garrett Hardin
5.2.2 Are Humans Locked in the Trap of Utility?
5.3 Coping with the Commons Dilemma
5.3.1 The Famous Cases of Elinor Ostrom: Governing the Commons
5.3.2 Governing the Commons on the Global Scale
5.4 Coping with the Commons Dilemma in Science Education: The Climate Change Example
5.4.1 Approaches to Understanding the Commons Dilemma
5.4.2 Approaches to Research Studies on Complex Issues
References
Chapter 6: The Framing of Health and Sustainable Development as Individual Responsibility Contributes to the Paradox of Responsibility
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Schools, Knowledge and the Making of Citizens
6.3 The Paradox of Responsibility
6.4 Communication, Agenda-Setting and Framing
6.5 Politics and Democracy
6.6 Stress, Obesity and Sustainable Development
6.6.1 Illustration 1. Health in School: Stress, Individual Responsibility and Democratic Politics (Malmberg & Urbas, 2019)
6.6.2 Illustration 2. Health Education, Obesity and the Making of Citizens (Malmberg et al., 2020)
6.6.3 Illustration 3. Governing ‘Eco-Certified Children’ Through Pastoral Power: Critical Perspectives on Education for Sustainable Development (Ideland & Malmberg, 2014)
6.6.4 Summary of the Illustrations
6.7 Challenges in Health Education and Education for Sustainable Development
References
Part II: Shifting the Curriculum Towards Informed Citizenship
Chapter 7: Development of Instruments to Assess the Environmental Health Competence: Focusing on Internal Coherence
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Theoretical Frameworks
7.2.1 Health and Health Education
7.2.2 Environment, Environmental Education and Education for Sustainability
7.2.3 Environmental Health and Its Competences
7.3 Method
7.3.1 Educational Contents to Develop Competences in Environmental Health
7.3.2 Contents that Should Appear in School Textbooks
7.3.3 Questionnaire to Know the Competences Acquired in Environmental Health
7.4 Results
7.4.1 Educational Content to Develop Competences in Environmental Health
7.4.2 Contents that Should Appear in School Textbooks
7.4.3 Questionnaire to Know the Competences Acquired in Environmental Health
7.5 Conclusion
References
Chapter 8: Planet 2030 and Inclusion for Sustainable Development
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Science Education for Sustainable Development
8.3 Inclusive Education for Sustainable Development
8.4 CHAT Approaches in Education
8.5 Rationale for a Teachers’ Training Course
8.6 Development of the Course
8.6.1 Planet 2030 Course
8.6.2 Expansive Learning and Teachers’ Training
8.7 Planet 2030 in Praxis
8.7.1 Educational Scenarios
8.7.2 CHAT Context and Contradictions
8.8 The Way Forward
References
Chapter 9: A Teacher’s Perspective on Socioscientific Issues
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Setting and Context Variables for the Observations Presented
9.3 Issues Taught and Strategies Used
9.3.1 Abortion
9.3.2 Vaccination
9.3.3 Antibiotics
9.3.4 Veganism
9.4 Insights
9.4.1 Daily School Routine and Conditions
9.4.2 Relevance and Lived Experience
9.4.3 Knowledge and Understanding
9.5 Conclusions
9.5.1 Pre- and In-Service Teacher Education
9.5.2 Meeting Challenges on a Systemic Level
9.5.3 Relevance and Knowledge
9.5.4 Advantages and Benefits
References
Chapter 10: Implementing Environmental and Societal Issues into Science Education through Life Cycle Assessment
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Science Education and Environmentally Sustainable and Healthy Consumption
10.3 Life Cycle Assessment in Education
10.4 Pedagogical Approaches in Using Life Cycle Assessment
10.4.1 Inquiry-Based Learning
10.4.2 Participatory Decision-Making
10.4.3 Discussions and Debates
10.4.4 Incorporating Environmental Issues to Life Cycle Assessment
10.4.5 Incorporating Societal Issues to Life Cycle Assessment
10.4.6 Incorporating Health Issues to Life Cycle Assessment
10.4.7 Incorporating Career Issues to Life Cycle Assessment
10.5 Conclusions
References
Part III: Promoting Scientific Literacy
Chapter 11: The Role of Science Education in Decision-Making Concerning Health and Environmental Issues
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Systems Thinking
11.3 Nature of Science
11.3.1 Values and Bias in Science
11.3.2 Scientific Practice
11.3.3 Methods and Methodological Rules
11.3.4 Scientific Knowledge
11.4 Non-cognitive Factors
11.4.1 Evaluation of the Behavior and Its Assumed Consequences
11.4.2 Perceived Ability to Act and Bring About Change with That Particular Action
11.4.3 Evaluation of the Approval by Others
11.4.4 Personal Values
11.5 Critical Thinking
11.6 From Vision to Reality
References
Chapter 12: Science Education as a Barrier Against “Fake Health News”
12.1 Introduction
12.2 The Online Health Information Ecosystem
12.3 Navigating Online Health Information: Barriers and Competencies
12.3.1 Health Literacy and e-Health Literacy
12.3.2 Scientific Literacy
12.3.3 Cognitive Biases
12.4 Case Study: Online Sources Making Non-evidence-based Health Claims About Treating Diabetes and Individuals’ Reaction to Them
12.5 Contexts for Fostering Health- and e-Health Literacy
12.6 A Case for Science Classroom as a Context for Fostering Health Literacy
12.7 Recommendations for Science Education Researchers
12.8 Detecting Fake Health News with Information Technology
12.9 Conclusions
References
Chapter 13: Communicating New Scientific Paradigms: A Case Study on Scientists’ Perceptions About Contemporary Metaorganism Science and Implications for Science|Environment|Health Pedagogy
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Facing a Contemporary Frontier in the Life Sciences and Science|Environment|Health Pedagogy
13.2.1 Understanding the Metaorganism
13.2.2 Framing the Nature of Science for Authentic Science|Environment|Health Pedagogy
13.3 Investigating Scientists’ Perceptions in Interviews
13.3.1 Interview Sampling
13.3.2 Procedure
13.3.3 Data Analysis
13.4 Scientists’ Perceptions on the Nature of Metaorganism Research and Relations to Science|Environment|Health Pedagogy
13.4.1 Changes and Challenges
13.4.2 Objectives for Science Communication
13.5 Conclusion and Future Directions
13.5.1 Reflecting Scientists’ Perceptions within the FRA Framework
13.5.2 Implications for Science|Environment|Health Pedagogy
References
Chapter 14: Teaching Virology at School: An Analysis of Student Knowledge, Textbooks, and Other Published Materials and a Summary of Essential Virology Knowledge for Teachers
14.1 Introduction and Background: Why Is This Topic So Important?
14.2 The Need to Combine Science and Health Education at School
14.3 Research on Health Education at School with Relation to Virology/Antibiotics
14.3.1 The Most Severe Gaps in Student Knowledge About Viruses: And What They Should Know
14.3.2 Viruses and School Education: The Teacher Perspective
14.3.3 What’s Going on in Textbooks and Other School Materials?
14.4 Viruses and Vaccination: Measles as a Paradigmatic Case for Public Health
14.5 Summary and Outlook
References
