1,721,081 research outputs found
Connecting people with nature. Do we want to connect emotionally or cognitively?
No full textA few years ago, I wouldn’t have even asked this question. Surely the answer is obvious: we should be connecting with the natural world both emotionally and cognitively – with both our hearts and our mind
Teaching citizenship through science: socio-scientific issues as an important component of citizenship
No full textThis paper is based on the view that many of the issues facing us as modern citizens are underpinned by science, and that pupils should therefore consider socio-scientific issues in the course of their formal science education. This should lay the foundations for decision-making and actions in adulthood in relation to controversial science-based problems of society.
Many areas of debate at all levels from government to the media relate to socio-scientific issues: How do we handle an imminent bird flu pandemic? Is genetic modification the future of medicines and global food supply? Is climate change really as big a threat to humanity as scientists tell us? How conclusive is DNA evidence in a murder trial? Should we consider building a new generation of nuclear power stations? These are examples of typical socio-scientific issues which impact on us all, from determining policy through to individual decision making
Science education for citizenship
No full textThis book:offers practical guidance in devising learning goals and suitable learning and assessment strategies; helps teachers to provide students with the skills and understanding needed to address these multi-faceted issues; explores the nature and place of socio-scientific issues in the curriculum and the support necessary for effective teaching;Science Education for Citizenship supports science teachers, citizenship teachers and other educators as they help students to develop the skills and understanding to deal with complex everyday issues
A collaborative approach to schools engagement training for university staff
No full textThis paper describes the process of developing and delivering a new training programme to better equip university researchers to engage with and create interactive activities for schools. It has brought together people from within and beyond the university in many, often quite unexpected, ways. We discuss the points of learning for all involved, the strategic and logistical challenges faced, and offer some practical solutions to the challenges faced
Exploring the actual and potential rhetoric-reality gaps in environmental education and their implications for pre-service teacher training
No full textThe mismatch between the advocated views of theorists and the teaching realities in school environmental education is widely recognised. There is relatively little research examining the advocated practices of teachers themselves, other than already environmentally active teachers, to indicate the nature of the 'potential' rhetoric-reality gap that might exist if all constraints were removed, and teachers had a completely free choice in designing their own environmental education programmes. This article identifies such gaps by exploring current practices and teachers' views on selected components of environmental education, across a complete teacher training partnership. This information has been used to help prioritise the content and approaches used by pre-service teachers when conducting school-based environmental activities. The investigation reveals that although most schools lack a written policy on environmental education, most have a positive attitude towards the large majority of selected components and these are usually addressed in school. Teachers are not generally compelled to deliver aspects of environmental education that they deem inappropriate. Of the 10 components not currently addressed by most of these schools, the findings suggest that five would be added if constraining factors were removed, but a further five would remain absent. The overall potential rhetoric-reality differences in this case study are thus smaller than the actual existing differences, but still fall short of some theorists' goals. Within the pre-service training programme, efforts have been concentrated on components that are: (i) currently practised in most schools; and (ii) receive a positive response from most teachers, and this has resulted in markedly improved feedback from schools and trainees alike
Teaching environmental education in primary and secondary schools through collaborative community projects: benefits and barriers
No full textCommunity education is about creating opportunities for community members - individuals, schools, businesses and public and private organisations - to become partners in addressing community needs. Much of the literature about community education indicates that educational participation among children and adults is strongly connected with the individual's integration into community life (McGivney, 1993). This article outlines the findings of a WWF-UK funded community project to promote education for sustainable development (ESD), through collaboration between Southampton schools and the local community
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